Social Dialogue in Latin America and the Caribbean: ILO publishes diagnosis and challenges for strengthening labour relations

LIMA (ILO News) – The Regional Office of the International Labour Organization (ILO) for Latin America and the Caribbean has launched its new report Social Dialogue and Labour Relations 2025, offering a comprehensive overview of the state of social dialogue in the region. The report compiles practical experiences aimed at strengthening tripartite institutions, preventing labour conflicts, and promoting a fairer, more inclusive, and sustainable labour environment.

The publication is the result of the Regional Initiative for the Strengthening of Social Dialogue and Labour Relations (IRDS), established in 2024 in response to a request from the Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC) of ILO Member States. Its objective is to provide strategic and technical support to governments, employers, and workers in addressing persistent challenges in the world of work, ranging from low coverage of collective bargaining to high levels of informality.

Effective social dialogue not only resolves conflicts—it builds peace, trust, and social cohesion. This publication is a tool to move towards more democratic and resilient labour systems in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Ana Virginia Moreira Gomes, ILO Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean

The report highlights how countries in the region have adopted various forms of institutionalizing social dialogue, including:

• economic and social councils;
• labour councils;
• wage councils;
• occupational safety and health councils; and
• conflict resolution commissions.

Despite these advances, the report also identifies significant challenges, such as low union density, fragmentation within the employer sector, and the need to ensure enabling conditions such as freedom of association and respect for the right to collective bargaining.

Key contributions of the report include:

• A mapping of existing tripartite institutions in each country;
• Notable national good practices;
• Analysis of the link between social dialogue and the Sustainable Development Goals;
• Recommendations for strengthening labour governance and social participation.

The ILO calls on tripartite constituents to use this publication as a guide to consolidate sustainable social dialogue processes that contribute to decent work and social justice across the region.