Social dialogue and tripartism

Effective social dialogue between governments, employers’ and workers’ organizations, and sound industrial relations, are means to promote social justice, inclusive economic growth, improved wages and working conditions and sustainable enterprises. As instruments of good governance at all levels from the local to the global, they foster an enabling environment for the realization of decent work for all. 

Social dialogue includes:

• Negotiation, consultation and information exchange between and among governments, employers’ and workers’ organizations;
• Collective bargaining between employers/employers’ organizations and workers’ organizations;
• Dispute prevention and resolution; and
• Other approaches such as workplace cooperation, international framework agreements and social dialogue in the context of regional economic communities.

Preconditions for sound social dialogue:

• Strong, independent and representative  employers' and workers’ organizations with the technical capacity to participate in social dialogue and access to relevant information;
• Political will, trust and commitment to engage in social dialogue by all the parties;
• Respect for the fundamental rights of freedom of association and effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining; and
• An enabling legal and institutional framework.