Workers

Workers and their organizations play a vital role in social dialogue. Along with the other tripartite partners - employers and government - workers make the ILO constitutional principle of tripartism and social dialogue a real life experience by applying them in practice. In order for this to happen, certain basic conditions have to be present - freedom of association and the right to bargain collectively.

Social dialogue is a valuable means of protecting and promoting the interests of workers by extending democracy and human dignity to the workplace. It is also a well-tested instrument for managing social and economic change while maintaining consensus and stability in society. Through social dialogue and collective bargaining, workers and their organizations improve their working conditions and wages, and, in many instances, have successfully expanded the scope of collective bargaining to include questions of workers protection such as safety and health at the workplace and social security schemes, workers' education and training, and even the participation of workers in the management of enterprises.

Trade union organizations at local, national, regional and international levels are the major means by which workers participate in social dialogue and as such serve as indispensable instruments for working people to improve their quality of life and to promote equitable and sustainable development of the society as a whole.

For more information...
• ACTRAV: Bureau for Workers Activities

• ACTRAV presentation PDF 759 Kb

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