Social dialogue in transport

Social dialogue is understood to mean all forms of information sharing, consultation and negotiation between or among, representatives of governments, employers and workers, on issues of common interest relating to economic and social policy. It can exist as a tripartite process, with the government as an official party to the dialogue or it may consist of bipartite relations between labour and management (or trade unions and employers’ organizations), with or without indirect government involvement. Social dialogue processes can be informal or institutionalized, and often it is a combination of the two. It can take place at the national, regional or at enterprise level. It can be inter-professional, sectoral or a combination of these.

As a result of the present wave of changes in the transport sector, labour relations have become more diversified. These processes have increased pressure on employers’ organizations and trade unions to pay attention to new issues, in both political and technical terms. In addition, these developments have drawn attention to the potential role of and constraints to the development of new institutional arrangements for labour-management consultation and social dialogue beyond the national level. The ILO is closely watching developments in this respect within the European Union.

Useful links/resources

• Social dialogue perspectives in Romanian road transport (pdf, 322k)
  Radu, Roxana, Sectoral Activities Programme Working Paper, WP.258, Geneva, 2008.
• Social Dialogue, Labour Law and Labour Administration Branch
• C 87 Freedom of Association and the Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948
• C 98 Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949
  
• C 144 Tripartite Consultation (International Labour Standards) Convention, 1976
  
• C 154 Collective Bargaining Convention, 1981
  
• Termination of Employment Legislation Digest