On 13 March 2024, the ILO’s Governing Body endorsed the agreement.
It emphasises the role of social dialogue and collective bargaining in achieving living wages, advocating for wage-setting processes that reflect ILO principles, the diverse needs of workers, and economic realities.
Spain's Ministry of Labour and Social Economy has initiated tripartite negotiations involving government, labour unions and employer organizations to implement measures for real and effective LGBTI equality in the workplace.
The negotiations aim to give effectiveness to Law 4/2023, which mandates companies with over 50 employees to adopt specific measures and resources for LGBTI equality, including protocols for addressing harassment or violence.
On 24 January 2024, the European Commission presented its proposal to amend the directive on European Works Councils (EWCs).
It aims to ensure more effective communication channels between employers and employee representatives, highlighting the importance of early and meaningful consultations and clarifying the operational framework of EWCs, potentially leading to more structured and efficient consultation processes.
On 27 November 2023, the European social partners of the steel sector, industriAll European Trade Union and EUROFER, signed a joint declaration to support the double green and digital transition of the European steel industry and its workers.
On 29 November 2023, the ILO presented its new Approach to Good Governance and Decent Work in Uzbekistan's Cotton, Textile, and Apparel Sectors.
The ILO approach aims to achieve important objectives, such as respecting fundamental principles and labour rights in the cotton supply chain, developing inclusive and sustainable enterprises, and strengthening the capacity of employers' and workers' organisations to promote decent work.
On 24 November 2023, presidents and chief executives of the member federations of BusinessEurope met in Brussels to present their priorities for the next Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
A technical meeting on decent and sustainable work in the inland waterways sector was held in Geneva from 20 to 24 November 2023 to discuss opportunities, challenges, and future actions.
Representatives from governments, workers, and employers adopted a set of conclusions and recommendations to guide ILO and its Member States, encouraging a strict collaboration with river and regional economic commissions.
The Charter stresses the value of social dialogue and collective bargaining and promotes and guarantees freedom of association for all employees in the workplace.
On 11 July 2023, the European Commission launched the first-stage consultation of European social partners on reinforcing the EU Quality Framework for traineeships, which ended 15 September.
It follows the first consultation phase launched on 11 April 2023, which ended with identifying six main areas for reform, subject to further consultation among the social partners.
The main areas of focus for further consultation concern the modification of the notion of 'transnational issue' and 'consultation,' limiting the possibility for management to classify information as 'confidential'; shortening the timeframe for setting up EWCs, improving the ability of EWCs and their members to enforce their legal rights, and ensuring that all EWCs are fully subject to the EU legal framework.
The second consultation phase will end on 4 October 2023.
On 12 July 2023, ILO and Rwanda announced a new development cooperation project to boost decent jobs for youth in the digital economy.
The main goal is to enable more young women and men in Rwanda to access decent job in its digital economy.
The project has a duration of 4 years with a Eur 4 million budget allocation.
It is financially supported by the Directorate for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Affairs of the Luxembourg Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs.
On 10 July 2023, the Commission adopted a decision setting up the European social dialogue committee for social services.
It will bring together European employers and trade union organizations of the sector, encompassing approximately 9 million workers throughout the European Union.
It will play a crucial role in shaping policies and fostering cooperation within the sector.
Between 8 to 12 May 2023, a group of more than a hundred experts representing workers, governments, and employers worldwide met in Geneva to discuss decent work in the agri-food sector.
On 12 May, the ILO sector guidelines were adopted.
The Guidelines sets out common principles and the policy framework that should guide action to achieve decent work in the agri-food sector.
On 1 June 2023, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on strengthening social dialogue.
It follows the European Commission’s announcement on 25 January 2023, of a review of the rules on the organisation of the European Sectoral Social Dialogue Committees.
On 10 May 2023, social partners signed the V Agreement for Employment and Collective Bargaining (V Acuerdo para el Empleo y la Negociación Colectiva, AENC).
It was signed by all the trade unions CCOO and UGT and the employers' associations CEOE and CEPYME.
It aims to enrich the content of collective bargaining and adapt it to the changes and realities in the labour market, as well as to address content that contributes to tackling structural problems such as inequality between women and men or preserving the health and safety of workers.
On 22 February 2023, The European social partners in the metalworking sector (Ceemet and IndustriAll Europe) adopted joint conclusions to guide the social partners in the metal, engineering, and technology industries on “Artificial Intelligence in the MET industries.”
They published the joint conclusions in view of their social dialogue meeting on competitiveness and employment on 15 March 2023, aiming to set out guidelines for approaching AI in the workplace.
On 16 March 2023, the General Confederation of Labor (GCL) and the Argentine Industrial Union (AIU) signed an agreement to modify specific obligations of Decree 144/22 regarding company childcare services.
French unions and employers have agreed on a draft collective agreement on value sharing that facilitates profit-sharing, incentive schemes, and tax-free bonuses in all companies.
The agreement will be included in an employment bill which the government is expected to present in spring 2023.
Following the International Accord for Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry, effective September 2021, the signatories agreed to establish a comprehensive workplace health and safety programme in Pakistan.
The agreement, which expires on 31 December 2025, covers signatories’ garment and textile suppliers in a country with crucial importance as a garment and textile sourcing for the Accord brands.
32 European Sectoral Social Partners organisations, on 8 February 2023, in a joint letter to the European Commission, expressed serious concerns regarding the review of the rules on financing the European Sectoral Social Dialogue Committees.
On 18 January 2023, a first agreement in the sector of ride-share platforms (Voiture de Transport avec Chauffeur or VTCs in French) was signed, setting out a minimum income per trip at EUR 7.65 net from 1 February 2023.
It provides a 27 per cent increase over the lowest rate on the market, “regardless of the application used.
Last January, workers, employers, and government representatives from the region met online for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Leadership Programme on the Just Transition to discuss the latest research, knowledge, and insights and to share best practices in shaping a just transition to a green future of work.
On 28-29 November 2022, in Algiers, in collaboration with the Algerian Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security, took place the first regional meeting of the Social Dialogue for Formalization and Employability in the Southern Neighbourhood Region (SOLIFEM) Project.
Constituents from Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon, and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) discussed with International Labour Organization (ILO) experts, the International Organisation of Employers (IOE), and the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) the achievements of the SOLIFEM project in the inception phase and re-affirmed the importance of social dialogue as a path towards formalisation and decent work for youth in the Middle East and North Africa region.
On 9 October 2022, the Portuguese government, the leaders of the employers' confederations (of Industry, Agriculture, Tourism, and Commerce and Services), and the trade union (UGT) signed a national agreement for the improvement of income, wages, and competitiveness until 2026.
It aims to balance the weight of wages in national wealth, strengthen the competitiveness of companies, retain young talent and support families and companies to face the crisis.
On 27 September 2022, the National Labour Council approved the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) no. 162 on the right to request flexible working arrangements.
On 4 July 2022, employers’ and workers’ representatives for the European textiles, clothing, leather, and footwear (TCLF)sectors, CEC, Cotance, Euratex and industriAll Europe met with the European Commission to discuss how to ensure a successful green and digital transition of the EU Textiles Ecosystem.
They adopted a joint statement with clear common demands to ensure that the textiles ecosystem can become more resilient, sustainable and digital.
On 28 June 2022, the European social partners signed a work programme 2022-24, that includes the negotiation of a legally binding agreement on ‘Telework and right to disconnect’.
On 28 April 2022, ILO published a new report on the importance of an effective collaboration between social partners in preventing occupational accidents and diseases.
Starting with the lesson learnt from the pandemic, it calls for the promotion of a preventative culture on Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) based on participation and social dialogue.
Last May, GMB Union (General, Municipal, Boilermakers' and Allied Trade Union (GMBATU, than shortened to GMB), and Deliveroo have signed an historic union recognition deal covering the company's more than 90,000 self-employed riders.
On 5 May 2022, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) launched a new global report that highlights the role played by collective bargaining (CB) during the pandemic.
In the first of a series of flagship reports on Social Dialogue, it presents the role of CB in the advancement of equality and inclusion.
On 7 February 2022, Eurofound published the report “Collective labour disputes in the EU” (Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg).
This study has shown that there is currently a deficit of reliable information about labour disputes in Europe, highlighting the importance of establishing clear definitions of what constitutes a labour dispute and collecting information on disputes that are not reported in the media.
On 10 February 2022, the Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), German international cooperation enterprise (GIZ), and the Particip GmbH (Particip) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to improve relations between factory management and workers in Bangladesh.
On 17 February 2022, Uber agreed with International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) to begin social dialogue on platform workers’ conditions and benefits globally.
The employment status of these workers – the most controversial and debated point - will not be discussed.
On 17 December 2021, delivery platform Just Eat and the CCOO and UGT trade union confederations signed the first collective agreement for food delivery workers in Spain.
It regulates wages, working time and conditions and came into force in January 2022.
On 23 December 2021, employer association Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF) and garment worker unions signed an agreement on how to address workplace issues for garment workers, especially during the pandemic and establishing bipartite health & safety committees, access to dispute resolution mechanisms and guarantees on the right to organise.
On 17 February 2022, Uber agreed with International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) to begin social dialogue on platform workers’ conditions and benefits globally.
The employment status of these workers – the most controversial and debated point - will not be discussed.
On 17 December 2021, delivery platform Just Eat and the CCOO and UGT trade union confederations signed the first collective agreement for food delivery workers in Spain.
It regulates wages, working time and conditions and came into force in January 2022.
On 23 December 2021, employer association Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF) and garment worker unions signed an agreement on how to address workplace issues for garment workers, especially during the pandemic and establishing bipartite health & safety committees, access to dispute resolution mechanisms and guarantees on the right to organise.
Social Dialogue
International News
Labour Laws and Regulations
Court Decisions
Policy Responses and Strategies
Private Sector Contribution