Publications

  1. National Tripartite Social Dialogue. An ILO guide for improved governance.

    Constituents have asked the ILO for support to establish a framework within which member States can promote tripartite social dialogue at the national level. This guide is a response to this request.

    It is meant to offer constituents a range of options when establishing a mechanism for national tripartite social dialogue or when reinforcing the existing system. However, the guide is not meant to be a normative document. It draws on the stipulations of international labour standards and on the lessons learned and experience gained by the ILO over the years in promoting social dialogue and providing policy advice, capacity building and practical guidance to tripartite constituents in all regions of the world.

September 2009

  1. Working Paper 4: Signing International Framework Agreements: Case Studies from South Africa, Russia and Japan

    01 September 2009

    The present paper is the outcome of a research effort which involved collaborations with various ILO branches and field Offices, particularly in Tokyo, Moscow and Pretoria, as well as the management of multinational companies, social partners and external experts and academics.

May 2009

  1. Convention 154

    01 May 2009

  2. Convention 151

    01 May 2009

  3. Convention 98

    01 May 2009

  4. Introductory Note

    01 May 2009

  5. Programme

    01 May 2009

  6. Working Paper 3: Collective bargaining on employment

    01 May 2009

    This paper examines the manner in which industrial relations actors have used collective bargaining to address issues of employment and employment insecurity. While the bulk of collective bargaining over the last two decades has been on "how to" implement job cuts, actors have increasingly used collective bargaining as an instrument to negotiate alternatives and save jobs. In the context of the current economic crisis, the paper highlights the importance of the interplay between collective bargaining actors and the State. It also points to the need to strengthen the social partners and industrial relations institutions, without which firms may lack the capacity to reach the bargains needed to save jobs, maintain incomes and improve firm performance.

  7. Working Paper 2: Industrial relations and collective bargaining: Trends and developments in South Africa

    01 May 2009

    This paper is part of a comparative study examining industrial relations developments in different countries and regions of the world. It examines how industrial relations systems and practices in South Africa have evolved and are adapting to meet contemporary labour market challenges. It is particularly interested in collective bargaining trends and in innovative agreements that contribute to employment security, social protection and the implementation of workers' rights.

  8. Working Paper 1: Social Dialogue in times of crisis: Finding better solutions

    01 May 2009

    This paper looks at past economic crises to identify lessons that can be learned from industrial relations developments in different regions and varying circumstances. The paper describes the development of social dialogue in the early period of the current crisis in order to inform the reader about the forms and content of crisis-related social dialogue in different parts of the world and to provide national examples. It concludes by suggesting policy options. The paper also contains tables of national and enterprise-level cases documenting the role of social dialogue and industrial relations in addressing the employment impact of the crisis.

May 2008

  1. Cross-border social dialogue and agreements: An emerging global industrial relations framework?

    12 May 2008

    The book examines various facets of international framework agreements (IFAs), as one of numerous private initiatives that have emerged in the absence of a state-driven multilateral framework, in view of organising a common labour relations framework at cross-border level. It also addresses relevant issues such as the possibility of cross-border solidarity action as a complement to cross-border dialogue. The title is longer available in print format but is available full text on-line using the link below.

October 2007

  1. The Employment Relationship: An annotated guide to ILO Recommendation No. 198

    10 October 2007

    This Guide aims to be user-friendly and contains practical information about how countries are dealing with the issues of the employment relationship as set out in the Recommendation No. 198. It is the result of the technical work carried out by a group of eminent labour lawyers representing different realities and approaches in the world of work.