A financial and administrative solution is necessary to help the EU social dialogue survive!

On 25 January 2023, the European Commission presented an initiative to further strengthen and promote social dialogue at national and EU level. The initiative aims to empower social dialogue to adapt to the digital and climate transitions as well as the emergence of new forms of employment.

The  initiative  includes  a  proposal  for  a  Council Recommendation,  which  sets  out  how  EU  countries can further strengthen social dialogue and collective bargaining at national level. We consider that increasing capacity building at national level is positive, as long as the autonomy of the social partners is fully respected.

The Commission also presented a Communication on reinforcing and promoting social dialogue at EU level. HOTREC very much welcomes the encouragement for social partners to look at new forms of work and atypical employment, and to communicate widely about the benefits of social dialogue and collective agreements. We also fully support that social partners have access to relevant information and support from national governments.

Nevertheless, social partners hope that the European Commission puts forward, as soon as possible, a solution covering the logistical and financial support needed for social partners to be able to continue to organise their sectoral social dialogue committees. In this sense, a joint letter, co-signed by the social partners was sent to Vice-President Dombrovskis and Commissioner Schmit in February 2023.