The European social dialogue is a fundamental element of the
European social model that is formally recognised by the EC Treaty
(Articles 138 and 139). It encompasses the discussions, consultations,
negotiations and joint actions undertaken by the social partner
organisations representing the two sides of industry (workers and employers). In particular, at Community level, workers are represented
by the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) and European employers are represented by three different organisations: the Confederation of European Business (BUSINESSEUROPE,
formerly UNICE), the European Centre of Enterprises with Public
Participation and of Enterprises of General Economic Interest (CEEP) and, following a cooperation agreement signed in 1998, the European Association of Craft Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (UEAPME).
Briefly, the involvement of the social partners at the European level
can be distinguished in three different types of activities: 1) tripartite consultation, which takes place between the social partner organisations and the European public authorities; 2) consultation of the social partners, in the spirit of Article 137 of the Treaty and 3) the European social dialogue,
which is the name given to the bipartite work of the social partners,
whether or not it stems from the official consultations of the
Commission based on Articles 137 and 138 of the TEC.
Click here to read the ETUC factsheet explaining the European social dialogue.
Through this section of the Resource Centre, the ETUC
aims to provide information and practical assistance to social
partner representatives (and especially trade union organisations) as
well as practitioners in industrial relations on policy and legislative
developments on European social dialogue.
