European Sectoral Social Dialogue: An Analytical Framework

Abstract

The European sectoral social dialogue involves complex relationships between the players directly or indirectly involved, and between the European level and the member organizations in national industrial relations systems. This article proposes a synthetic analytical framework to highlight these relationships, showing that the sectoral social dialogue constitutes a very specific `system of action'.

The EU and industrial relations modernization: supranational state support for trade union and social partner modernization and social dialogue

“…Networking has also acquired institutional momentum, such as in the case of the upsurge of social dialogue at the EU level. As a result European social partners have gained the institutional capacity to produce their own joint rules, which contribute to European regulation (Leonard 2008). As indicated above, to achieve this goal they have been sustained by a variety of practices.…”

“…This is a joint project of the social partners organizations founded within the Joint-Work Programmes 2003-2005, 2006-2008and 2008 by the European Commission. In a similar manner to the projects already mentioned, it was also aimed at generating new knowledge about restructuring and networking activities as a result of the exchange of information and the development of communication and coordination activities.…”

Transnational Industrial Relations as Multi‐Level Governance: Interdependencies in European Social Dialogue

“…These include both 'harder' binding agreements, which entail unparalleled rights for private actors in drawing up generally applicable measures, and 'softer' measures such as joint texts and autonomous agreements (Léonard et al 2007). These include both 'harder' binding agreements, which entail unparalleled rights for private actors in drawing up generally applicable measures, and 'softer' measures such as joint texts and autonomous agreements (Léonard et al 2007).…”

“…There are transaction costs advantages for national employer organizations and trade unions in framing a common approach at European level, and avoiding the additional resources involved in developing parallel initiatives in each member-state (Léonard et al 2007;Marginson and Sisson 2004). The framing of the negotiations requires national member organizations to give their respective European social partners a mandate to negotiate on the issue in question.…”

The EU and the Right to Strike: Regulation through the Back Door and Its Impact on Social Dialogue

“…Here, social scientists consider that much depends on perceptions of representativity and the complex relationships with national level organizations. 18 As has been observed: 'strong unions can impose coordinated bargaining at the European sectoral level', especially in the rail and water transport sectors. 19 More recently, an enthusiasm for negotiation on new topics has reaped few rewards insofar as there is a reluctance to engage in bargaining on pay and working time, 20 topics also now the subject of controversy in national level collective agreements within the EU, as we shall see below.…”