COVID-19 and social dialogue

Social dialogue, based on respect for freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining, has a crucial role to play in designing policies to promote social justice and buttress other measures by governments to protect jobs, incomes and companies. As in times of prosperity, tripartite and bipartite social dialogue in a context of crisis can contribute to effectively reconciling competing interests and building trust in, commitment to, and ownership of policies.

Since the initial phase of the COVID-19 outbreak, social dialogue have played an important role in shaping national policy responses during the pandemic, in a majority of ILO member states. The ILO has intensified its support to the tripartite constituents, with a view to placing social dialogue at the heart of policy-making in crisis-responses, in line with international labour standards and drawing on best international practice. Numerous Briefs and other material on the role of social dialogue during the pandemic, covering a wide range of areas (Occupational safety and health at work, social protection, etc.) and regions have been released or are under preparation.

  1. Policy brief

    Social dialogue on occupational safety and health in the Covid-19 context. Ensuring a safe return to work - Practical examples -

    26 August 2020

    Against the background of the Covid-19 pandemic, most countries have re-opened their economy and workers have been requested to return to their workplace. The present Brief highlights the need for social dialogue in order to ensure a safe return to work. It also illustrates a number of practical examples from across the globe where this return was prepared through bipartite or tripartite consultations, at the national, sectoral or enterprise level.

  2. COVID- 19

    Needs assessment survey: The impact of COVID-19 on enterprises

    03 August 2020

    This survey tool has been developed by the ILO Bureau for Employers’ Activities (ILO-ACT/EMP) to help employers and business membership organizations (EBMOs) evaluate the needs of enterprises as a result of on-going COVID-19 crisis. This survey tool is an update to the first one released in March 2020 (see here) and assists EBMOs gain membership insights by assessing priorities and challenges enterprises are facing due to the prolonged crisis situation.

  3. COVID- 19

    Enterprise survey tool: Assessing training needs resulting from COVID-19

    22 July 2020

    This enterprise survey template is made available to employer and business membership organizations (EBMOs) so that they can assess the training and development needs their members require for staff. The survey will enable EBMOs to adapt their own provision of training to its members and support the development of a tailored curriculum with an appropriate pricing strategy. It will also provide an indication of members’ preference for virtual training so EBMOs can consider both short-term and longer-term investment in digitalizing training services.

  4. COVID-19 and the world of work

    Jump-starting a green recovery with more and better jobs, healthy and resilient societies

    16 July 2020

    As economies restart, there is an opportunity to develop public and private policies to address the current climate change crisis gradually and foster the transition to a green economy. The reconstruction of the economic fabric should lay the foundations for environmentally sustainable and socially inclusive production and consumption as we move into the future.

  5. COVID- 19

    A global survey of employer and business membership organizations: Inside impacts and responses to COVID-19

    29 June 2020

    In a joint effort to understand the real demands and challenges EBMOs are facing, the International Labour Organization – Bureau for Employers’ Activities (ILO-ACT/EMP) and the International Organisation of Employers (IOE) conducted a global survey of EBMOs. This rich information base, enables to assess the most pressing needs of EBMOs.

  6. Publication

    COVID-19 and the world of work: Ensuring no one is left behind in the response and recovery

    09 June 2020

    This brief is part of a series on leaving no one behind in the context of COVID-19 and the world of work. It provides an overview of specific groups that risk being left behind: people with disabilities, indigenous and tribal peoples, people living with HIV, and migrant workers.

  7. COVID-19: Relying on social dialogue for solutions

    Social dialogue key to combating COVID-19

    21 May 2020

    What can governments, employers and workers do to help fight Covid-19? They can work together. The ILO calls this cooperation between representatives of governments, employers’ and workers’ organizations social dialogue.

  8. COVID- 19

    An employers’ guide on working from home in response to the outbreak of COVID-19

    18 May 2020

    This guide has been developed by the International Labour Organization Bureau for Employers’ Activities (ILO-ACT/EMP) to assist EBMOs to provide practical guidance to member companies that have implemented “working from home” protocols for their staff in 2020 as an alternative temporary arrangement during the COVID-19 crisis.

  9. COVID- 19

    Safe return to work: Guide for employers on COVID-19 prevention

    07 May 2020

    This Guide has been developed by the ILO Bureau for Employers’ Activities (ILO-ACT/EMP) and contains recommendations for health and safety practices and approaches to COVID-19 prevention.The publication aims to provide general guidance and information to employers on how to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace, to enable workers to return to work safely while keeping the risk of contamination as low as possible. It also provides ideas on how to protect workers’ mental well-being during the pandemic.

  10. Policy brief

    The need for social dialogue in addressing the COVID-19 crisis

    05 May 2020

    The COVID-19 pandemic with its far reaching socio-economic consequences calls for effective tripartite social dialogue and cooperation bringing together governments and employers’ and workers’ organizations to design effective strategies and policies to address its impacts.