Gå til hovedindhold
social_partners.jpg

Social partners

‘Social partners’ is a term generally used in Europe to refer to representatives of management and labour (employer organisations and trade unions), and in some contexts public authorities, that engage in social dialogue. The term ‘European social partners’ specifically refers to those organisations at EU level which are engaged in European social dialogue, provided for under Articles 154 and 155 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU). The social partners play a key role in the governance of the employment relationship, and are key actors in industrial relation systems. In most EU Member States, they shape working conditions and influence social policy, either through collective bargaining or tripartite social dialogue. They are interlocking parts in a multilevel system of governance that includes the European, national, sectoral, regional (provincial or local), company and establishment levels. 

Topic

Recent updates

ef23056.png

Working life in Moldova

Eurofound and the European Training Foundation have developed the first working life country profile for Moldova in recognition of its new status as an EU candidate country. The profile is...

Article

Eurofound research

Eurofound investigates and reports on developments concerning the social partners, and research examines how they have responded in the EU Member States, the UK and Norway to the many new political, legal and social challenges that have arisen in recent years.

Trade unions

Eurofound provides comparative research and articles on the main European trade unions, their memberships, organisational densities, mandates, strategies, what they offer to their members, and many more aspects of their operation.

Employer organisations

Comparative research and articles are available on the main European employer organisations, their memberships, organisational densities, mandates, strategies and other aspects of their operation.

Involvement in policymaking

Eurofound also looks at the involvement of the national social partners in the design and implementation of reforms and policies, both in national policymaking and in the context of the European Semester and the elaboration of the National Reform Programmes.

Role of social partners in the just transition

Eurofound research investigates the involvement of the social partners in the just transition to a climate-neutral economy. It focuses on their input in shaping the territorial just transition plans designed to protect vulnerable regions that are carbon intensive or where most of employment depends on fossil fuels. An analysis of social dialogue practices and examples of collective agreements shows the range of topics covered by the social partners. 

Policy responses

Eurofound’s EU PolicyWatch collates information on the responses of government and social partners to the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and rising inflation including the role of the social partners in the design and implementation of the various measures in the Member States.

EU-level sectoral social partners and representativeness

European sectoral social dialogue has been slowly developing since the establishment of sectoral social dialogue committees in 1998. As of 2018, there are 43 such committees. Since 2006, Eurofound has had a mandate to carry out representativeness studies of the EU-level sectoral social partner organisations to identify the representative actors to be consulted. These studies are the most extensive mapping of sector-related employer organisations and trade unions across Europe. Research also compares the different ways in which the representativeness of social partners is defined at national, European and international levels.

Key outputs

adhoc_card_cover.jpg

This report assesses the role of the social partners in tackling workplace discrimination. Against the background of EU and national anti-discrimination legislation, it highlights the extent to which the need...

31 august 2020
Publication
Customised report
ef20064_card_cover.png

The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the lives of individuals and societies, including on the economy and labour markets, is unprecedented. The impact of the global health emergency has...

24 juni 2020
Publication
Research report
eurofound-placeholder

European sectoral social dialogue plays an important role in promoting dialogue between the social partners in industrial sectors at European level. There are currently 43 European sectoral social dialogue committees...

6 december 2019
Publication
Research report

EU context

The TFEU recognises and promotes the role of the social partners at EU level and documents the EU’s commitment to facilitate dialogue between the social partners, respecting their autonomy. This recognition is illustrated by the adoption of the multiannual work programmes of the social partners. In these programmes, the social partners themselves set their priorities and negotiation agenda and decide on the appropriate instruments for social dialogue.

Over the years, there has been increased recognition of the role of the EU-level social partners by the European institutions. This is reflected, for example, in the establishment of an annual tripartite social summit between the European Council, the European Commission and the social partners, enabling the latter to contribute, in the context of their social dialogue, to the various components of the economic and social governance of the EU. The main cross-industry organisations representing the social partners at EU level are:

  • the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC)
  • the Confederation of European Business (BusinessEurope)
  • the Association of Crafts and SMEs in Europe (SMEunited, formerly UEAPME)
  • the European Centre of Employers and Enterprises providing Public Services and Services of General Interest (CEEP)

The social partners play a prominent role in shaping EU social legislation. The Commission must consult the social partners before submitting proposals in the social policy field through a compulsory two-stage consultation procedure (Artilce 154 TFEU). Moreover, social partners can negotiate agreements that can be implemented either autonomously according to national practices, or be implemented at their request at EU level through a Council decision (Article 155 TFEU). To this extent, social partner agreements implemented at EU level have played a significant role in developing the EU social acquis.

In addition, the European institutional bodies view the two sides of industry as being key to the development of the European Semester, the cycle of economic and fiscal policy coordination within the EU. While the role of the social partners in the Semester is not clearly set out in the legislative framework, their participation has been recognised and strengthened in Regulation 1175/2011 on the surveillance of budgetary positions and the surveillance and coordination of economic policies. The revamped European Semester, initiated in 2015, allows more time for dialogue and greater involvement of the social partners at all levels.

National context

Social partners are core stakeholders who can assess policy needs and contribute to policy formation and to designing and implementing national reforms in the social and employment fields. This role and the need to involve the social partners in policymaking have been acknowledged in Guideline 7 of Council Decision 2018/1215 for the employment policies of the Member States, as well as in Principle 8 of the European Pillar of Social Rights.

 

Eurofound expert(s)

ricardo-rodriguez-contreras-2023.png

Ricardo Rodriguez Contreras is a research manager in the Working Life unit at Eurofound and focuses on comparative industrial relations, social dialogue and collective bargaining...

Research manager,
Working life research unit
Publications results (187)

Three years after the adoption of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), this report reviews the quality of the social partners’ involvement in 2023 in the ongoing implementation of reforms and investments funded by that initiative. It also examines the quality of their involvement in the prepa

26 February 2024

This study provides information allowing for an assessment of the representativeness of the actors involved in the European sectoral social dialogue committee for the furniture sector.

08 December 2023

Previous Eurofound research developed three complementary tools to examine the dynamics of industrial relations and compare how national industrial relations systems are faring in terms of quality and change over time.

05 December 2023

This study provides information allowing for an assessment of the representativeness of the actors involved in the European sectoral social dialogue committee for the woodworking sector.

21 November 2023

This study provides information to allow for an assessment of the representativeness of the national and supranational social partners at cross-industry level in the EU.

09 November 2023

This study provides information allowing for an assessment of the representativeness of the actors involved in the European sectoral social dialogue committee for the professional football sector.

26 October 2023

This report investigates the involvement of social partners in the just transition to a climate-neutral economy, with a particular focus on the territorial just transition plans. These plans aim to support the regions most negatively affected by the just transition by assisting workers to retrain

19 July 2023

This publication comprises individual country reports on developments in working life in each of the 27 EU Member States and Norway in 2022, based on national research and survey results. The topics covered include the policy responses of governments to inflation and how inflation has featured in

05 May 2023

In 2022, the European Semester process was updated to take into account the launch of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) in February 2021. Over the past year, Member States have implemented national recovery and resilience plans (RRPs) in a context of huge geopolitical and economic upheaval

29 March 2023

This paper provides an overview of the involvement of the social partners in policymaking and social dialogue in recent years, primarily at national peak level. It will focus on the evolution of social dialogue over the past decade and a half in terms of its response to external shocks, focusing on

20 March 2023

Online resources results (685)

Working life in Moldova

Eurofound and the European Training Foundation have developed the first working life country profile for Moldova in recognition of its new status as an EU candidate country. The profile is intended to provide an overview of Moldova’s key socioeconomic characteristics and regulations to serve as a ba

Working life in Georgia

Eurofound and the European Training Foundation have developed the first working life country profile for Georgia, which is an EU candidate country. The profile is intended to provide an overview of Georgia’s key socioeconomic characteristics and regulations to serve as a background for its work t

Patterns and trends in social partner involvement in times of crises. 20-21 March 2023, EMCO meeting hosted by the Swedish Presidency, Stockholm. Presentation by Ricardo Rodriguez Contreras, Research Manager, Eurofound.

23 marts 2023
ef22035.png

COVID-19 in the workplace: Employer’s responsibility to ensure a safe workplace

Throughout 2021, the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, specific occupational health and safety rules were reintroduced due to increases in infection rates. Mandatory face masks, physical distancing and hygiene measures were enforced, and the recommendation to telework was largely re-instated in

ef22039.png

Collective bargaining and social dialogue – Back to normal in 2021?

Two years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, social dialogue continues to make a significant contribution to helping economies recover. Managing the crisis led many governments to rely on tripartite social dialogue to develop the policies that would mitigate the negative impact of the

ef22034.png

Back to work after COVID-19: Testing, vaccines and green certificates

In the second pandemic year 2021, access to one’s place of work was increasingly dependent on providing proof of either having been tested, vaccinated or recovered from COVID-19 in several countries. Specific professional groups – such as essential workers and workers in critical infrastructure –

photo_ivailo_kalfin.png

Twin transition and pandemic challenge Eurofound to increase expertise, strengthen partnerships, expand reach, says new Director

Eurofound welcomed Ivailo Kalfin to his new role as Executive Director on 1 June. After one month in the job, he reflects on the challenges facing the EU, how they will impact on the work of Eurofound and his priorities for shaping the Agency over the next five years.

United Kingdom: latest working life developments Q2 2018

The social partners’ joint statement on the risk of a no-deal Brexit risk, launch of the first labour market enforcement strategy and a record low for workers’ strikes are the main topics of interest in this article. This country update reports on the latest developments in working life in the UK in

Bulgaria: latest working life developments Q2 2018

The launch of an alliance to combat wage inequality, the election of a new leader for one of the country’s main employers’ associations and talks on the European Pillar of Social Rights are the main topics of interest in this article. This country update reports on the latest developments in working


Blogs results (2)
ef22054.png

With the arrival of the month of May, the 2022 European Semester Spring Package is anticipated soon. After a transformative year in 2021, which saw the launch of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) under NextGenerationEU, the European Semester cycle has resumed its role as the reference

image_blog_20042015_from_val_duchesse_to_riga.jpg

The new European Commission (EC) under President Jean-Claude Juncker is committed to re-launching social dialogue and a first step was taken with the organisation of a high-level conference in Brussels on 5 March. The aim of the conference was to discuss concrete ways to strengthen social dialogue

20 april 2015
Upcoming publications results (8)

This report reviews the quality of the national social partners’ involvement in the implementation of the reforms and investments shaping the digital and green transition in the context of national policymaking. These reforms and investments stem mainly from the Recovery and Resilience Facility.

March 2025

This study provides information allowing for an assessment of the representativeness of the actors involved in the European sectoral social dialogue committee for the extractive industries sector. Their relative representativeness legitimises their right to be consulted, their role and effective par

November 2024

This study provides information allowing for an assessment of the representativeness of the actors involved in the European sectoral social dialogue committee for the construction sector. Their relative representativeness legitimises their right to be consulted, their role and effective participatio

November 2024

This study provides information allowing for an assessment of the representativeness of the actors involved in the European sectoral social dialogue committee for the chemical sector. Their relative representativeness legitimises their right to be consulted, their role and effective participation in

November 2024

This study provides information allowing for an assessment of the representativeness of the actors involved in the European sectoral social dialogue committee for the road transport sector. Their relative representativeness legitimises their right to be consulted, their role and effective participat

November 2024

This study provides information allowing for an assessment of the representativeness of the actors involved in the European sectoral social dialogue committee for the postal and courier activities sector. Their relative representativeness legitimises their right to be consulted, their role and effec

November 2024

This study provides information allowing for an assessment of the representativeness of the actors involved in the European sectoral social dialogue committee for the graphical industry. Their relative representativeness legitimises their right to be consulted, their role and effective participation

November 2024

This publication comprises individual country reports on developments in working life in each of the 27 EU Member States and Norway in 2023, based on national research and survey results.

May 2024

Disclaimer

When freely submitting your request, you are consenting Eurofound in handling your personal data to reply to you. Your request will be handled in accordance with the provisions of Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2018 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data by the Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies and on the free movement of such data. More information, please read the Data Protection Notice.

To verify you're human, please enter the result of this calculation: 20 + 5.