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| Many hallmarks of good labour practices have been achieved through social dialogue, such as the eight hour working day, maternity protection, child-labour laws, and a range of policies which promote workplace safety and peaceful industrial relations. The main goal of social dialogue is to promote consensus building and democratic involvement among the stakeholders in the world of work – representatives of governments, employers and workers. Successful social dialogue – which includes all types of negotiation, consultation or exchange of information between and among these stakeholders – depends on structures and processes that create the potential to resolve important economic and social issues, encourage good governance, advance social and industrial stability and boost economic progress. Social dialogue therefore is an important means to achieve social justice. In this time of global economic and financial crisis, the goal of consensus building among the key stakeholders and their democratic involvement in finding solutions is paramount.
As social dialogue echoes the needs and aspirations of its participants, women and men should be represented in an equitable way to have their voices heard without fear of reprisal. Collective bargaining involves negotiation to reach agreement between employers’ and workers’ organizations on relevant matters, usually involving wages and conditions of works.
In social dialogues, there can be direct or “bipartite” relations between labour and management (or trade unions and employers’ organizations), or “tripartite” relations between governmental authorities and the social partners. For social dialogue to work, governments must be active even if they are not directly involved in the process – by offering the legal and institutional frameworks that enable the parties to engage effectively.
Social dialogue is conducted at the international, regional, national levels. Collective agreements concluded at the national level, the industry (or sectoral), enterprise and workplace levels result in more immediate effects on the working conditions. Some instances of social dialogue cut across multiple economic sectors or address social concerns applicable to many sectors; others are sector-specific. Social dialogue processes can be informal or institutionalized, and often are a combination of the two. In many countries, there are tripartite institutions for social dialogue at the national level.
Social dialogue is an essential tool for advancing gender equality in the world of work. The social partners are key actors in the elimination of sex discrimination and the promotion of equality at work. There is evidence however that this can only be done when the voices of men and women can clearly be heard. Two pressing issues regarding social dialogue therefore need to be addressed when talking about gender equality.
● How can the equal participation of women and in men in representative bodies in social dialogue be ensured?
● How can social dialogue contribute to advancing gender equality in the world work?
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| Women’s Participation in Social Dialogue |
| As the past decades have witnessed a steady increase in women entering the workforce, whether as employers or workers, women have also increased their participation in the relevant social dialogue institutions. When engaging in social dialogue and also within their own organizations, women have been more active in bringing gender equality issues to the forefront. Thus, an increased involvement of women in social dialogue has resulted in greater attention to gender issues. The participation of women in the institutions of social dialogue can in itself be seen as key to promoting gender equality.
In general, however, the participation of women in social dialogue institutions has remained relatively low. The average of women participations worldwide stands at around 15 percent; the highest share is found in Europe with an average of 17 percent. Examples of female representation are 3 percent in Malta, 13 percent in Finland, Poland and Spain, 22 percent in France and the Netherlands and 28 percent in Estonia. |
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| ILO Conventions and Recommendations on Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining |
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| Two Core Conventions |
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● C87 Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize Convention, 1948
● C98 Right to Organize and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949 |
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| Other Conventions |
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● C11 Right of Association (Agriculture) Convention, 1921
● C84 Right of Association (Non-Metropolitan Territories) Convention, 1947
● C135 Workers’ Representatives Convention, 1971
● C141 Rural Workers’ Organizations Convention, 1975
● C151 Labour Relations (Public Service) Convention, 1978
● C154 Collective Bargaining Convention, 1981
● R91 Collective Agreements Recommendation, 1951
● R143 Workers’ Representatives Recommendation, 1971
● R149 Rural Workers’ Organizations Recommendation, 1975
● R159 Labour Relations (Public Service) Recommendation, 1978
● R163 Collective Bargaining Recommendation, 1981
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