Guy Ryder: “Social dialogue is and must be part of the solution to the crisis”

On 15 and 16 April, ILO Director-General Guy Ryder addressed the European Commission (EC) conference on “Industrial relations and social dialogue in Europe 2012” by video message. The conference marked the launch of the EC Industrial Relations in Europe report, to which ILO experts contributed. The conference was opened by European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion László Andor.

Social dialogue is part of the EU’s DNA, but this is not reflected in some EU Member states’ practices and policies. ILO Director-General Guy Ryder reminded the audience of malfunctioning social dialogue in some Eurozone programme countries and in a number of Central and East European countries. He stressed that social dialogue must be a part of the solution to the crisis.

Guy Ryder said that the interventions of the Troika in EU programme countries have created serious difficulties for collective bargaining and social dialogue, and that in some of the worst hit countries, such as Greece, social dialogue even stopped functioning. Fair and sustainable reforms that can achieve recovery are far more likely to be achieved when they are the outcome of genuine social dialogue.

He underlined the importance of joint EU-ILO action on rebuilding and strengthening social dialogue as part of the crisis responses. The ILO and the EU have to build their initiatives on the facts of the situation in each country as there are significant differences between EU Member states.

The EU social partners and the ILO Office highlighted the importance of effective and timely EU and national social dialogue in the context of the roadmap for the new EMU and EU socio-economic governance. This will require new steps for EU and national social dialogue.