Institutionalizing social dialogue for green and digital transitions in Europe and Central Asia

The green and digital transitions are reshaping economies and labour markets across Europe and Central Asia, affecting jobs, skills, working conditions, workers’ rights and social cohesion. This brief examines how social dialogue and tripartism can help governments, employers’ and workers’ organizations anticipate these changes and shape fair, inclusive and employment-centred responses.

The region has strong institutional foundations for social dialogue, including universal ratification of ILO Conventions Nos. 87, 98 and 144 and the widespread presence of national social dialogue institutions. However, the brief also points to growing pressures on freedom of association and collective bargaining, as well as gaps in the effectiveness, resources and inclusiveness of these institutions.

Drawing on ILO research and selected country experiences, the brief reviews how social dialogue has supported just transition strategies, climate policy, decarbonization, skills development, the regulation of platform and remote work, and responses to digitalization, algorithmic management and artificial intelligence.

While these experiences show the potential of social dialogue to guide the twin transition, its use remains uneven and often ad hoc. The brief calls for stronger, better-resourced and more inclusive social dialogue institutions that can help anticipate change, manage restructuring and support workers and enterprises through the transitions ahead.