Conference on tripartism

EU Presidency Conference on Tripartism in an enlarged European Union

Co-organised by the Danish Ministry of Employment and the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions

Hotel Comwell, Elsinore, Denmark

29-30 October 2002

• Introduction

• Background

• Programme

• Venue & contact details

See also conference information from the Danish Ministry of Employment.

Speech abstract - Friedrich Buttler

Director, ILO

The future of tripartism

1. Globalisation

Globalisation is a challenge to tripartism, and its social dimension should become fully rooted in tripartite consultations. The worldwide challenge consists of how to bring good economic governance together with good social governance, ecological sustainability and the rule of law in democracy.

At the global level, the ILO's Decent Work Agenda aims to promote employment, social protection and fundamental social rights for all. Tripartite dialogue is a powerful instrument for this objective. The World Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalisation was established in November 2001. The broad goals of the Commission are:

• To identify policies for globalisation, which reduce poverty, foster growth and development in open economies, and promote decent work;

• To identify policies which can make globalisation work for all, in ways which are acceptable and seen to be fair, both between and within countries;

• To promote a more focused international dialogue on the social dimension of globalisation;

• To generate international political will and consensus on appropriate policy responses dealing with the social dimension of globalisation;

• To assist the international community forges greater policy coherence in order to advance both economic and social goals in the global economy.

The European Commission estimates social dialogue as "a tool for the modernisation announced at the Lisbon European Council for all key issues on the European agenda". Lifelong learning and the acquisition of skills, mobility and career paths as elements of working conditions, active ageing, equal opportunities, employment and wider access to the labour market, sustainable development, quality of work, worker involvement and negotiated anticipation of change are among the key issues. Both the Commission and the ILO have a common agenda in this field.

2. Enlargement

The process of enlargement of the European Union still finds social dialogue and tripartism in the candidate countries in the early stages of development. In most Central and Eastern European countries, the social partners' organisations and tripartite institutions exist at the national level, but are weak at the sectoral and regional levels. National legislation is making progress - implementation is a challenge ahead.

For historical reasons, union-government relations have a stronger tradition in transition countries than bipartite relations between social partners. Therefore, bipartism needs to be strengthened, and governments play a crucial role in this process.

The European Union, social partners' organisations, the Commission and the ILO have to continuously support the emerging tripartite structures in the candidate countries.

Some social partners in candidate countries feel that they were not sufficiently included in the accession negotiations and pre-accession strategies. The ILO therefore welcomes the fact that the Commission, in its Communication on the European social dialogue, explicitly addresses Social Dialogue and Enlargement.

3. Tripartism

Tripartism emerged in many Western European countries as a constitutional element. In the future, its functioning will continue to be at the forefront for voicing employers' and workers' experiences and views concerning all issues of economic and social governance.

In addition, during the last few decades, constitutional reality in these countries is characterised by the emergence, and increasing role, of NGOs. In the fields of our concern, they are particularly supportive in reducing poverty, promoting social inclusion, addressing discrimination and voicing sustainability. Moreover, they can play a complementary role to tripartite structures and procedures and can thus be partners in strategic alliances.