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Industrial relations and social dialogue

Industrial relations and social dialogue is one of Eurofound's main operational activities for its 2025–2028 programming period. Building on the past 50 years of research, Eurofound continues to function as a centre of expertise for monitoring and analysing developments in industrial relations and social dialogue at European and national levels and promoting dialogue between management and labour.

Eurofound’s research priorities are shaped by the opportunities and challenges arising from four mega-drivers: demographic change, climate change, technological change and re-globalisation. In the area of industrial relations and social dialogue, the Agency also continues to monitor, report and analyse developments in this area at sector and, as far as feasible, company levels. 

This research activity responds to the need to support social dialogue and provide comparative data on national institutional settings and developments as well as European-level developments.

Topic

Recent updates

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Living and working in Europe 2024

Living and working in Europe 2024 provides a snapshot of Eurofound’s key research findings on the changing nature of work and life across the EU. Labour and skills shortages continued...

8 Bealtaine 2025
Publication
Annual report

Eurofound research 2025

During 2025, Eurofound’s continues its regular reporting and monitoring of developments in industrial relations and social dialogue. Work continues on sectoral representativeness studies, at the request of the European Commission. Research also builds on the knowledge around the degree and form of the social partners’ involvement in national tripartite policymaking in the context of the European Semester.

Drawing on the expertise of the Network of Eurofound Correspondents, regular updating of the EU PolicyWatch database offers examples of collective agreements, company cases and other initiatives, and captures how national governments involve the social partners in policymaking.

In 2025, Eurofound begins preparation for the 2026 edition of the Tripartite Exchange Seminar, in cooperation with the relevant partners.

Topics of research include:

  • Minimum wages: Looking at how Member States have adapted their systems following the transposition of the Directive on adequate minimum wages in the European Union, including further experiences with pay transparency measures and an annual review of minimum wages
  • Working time: Monitoring developments, including regulation and outcomes
  • Involvement of the social partners: Social partners’ involvement in the governance of national public employment services and social security institutions in the EU
  • Collective bargaining: How collective bargaining can be promoted, the obstacles that could be removed, and the range of topics that are addressed in collective agreements
  • Caring for care services: Focusing on industrial relations aspects such as representation, collective bargaining and social dialogue in the sector
  • Representativeness studies: Various sectors
  • National reporting on industrial relations, social dialogue and working life
  • Working life country profiles update

What our experts say

...

We are there to support the dialogue between management and labour. And I think the data we draw together and the research we do is important, if it helps the actors themselves, to function better… A vibrant social dialogue is part of what you might call a social market economy, which is what the European Union is aiming to achieve.

Listen to our podcasts on issues around industrial relations and social dialogue

Eurofound Talks - A podcast series

 

Infographic: Industrial relations and social dialogue in the EU

Key challenges for industrial relations systems are changes in society, labour markets and the organisation of work.

Fewer than 1 in 3 EU workplaces with 10+ workers has some form of official employee representation.

See full infographic

Linking in with EU priorities

2025 marks the first year of the five-year period of the EU policy and legislative cycle for 2025–2029. The research and monitoring carried out in the area of industrial relations and social dialogue is relevant for a range of EU initiatives, such as:

  • the Council Recommendation and the Communication on strengthening social dialogue in the European Union
  • the implementation of the Directive on adequate minimum wages
  • the future of the European Works Councils
  • the Council Recommendation on access to social protection for workers and the self-employed
  • the involvement of the social partners in the European Semester and the recovery and resilience plans
  • the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan

Key outputs

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Living and working in Europe 2024

Living and working in Europe 2024 provides a snapshot of Eurofound’s key research findings on the changing nature of work and life across the EU. Labour and skills shortages continued...

8 Bealtaine 2025
Publication
Annual report
Publications results (544)
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Challenges and solutions: Case studies on European Works Councils

This working paper investigates the practical implementation of the European Works Council (EWC) Directive at company level. It explores the challenges faced by existing EWCs and provides examples of solutions identified and remaining issues from the point of view of both workers and management. In

25 October 2022
Publication
Other
Social dialogue
European Pillar of Social Rights
Employee representation
Agreements
Collective bargaining
Industrial relations and social dialogue
Industrial relations
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Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Gas sector

This study provides information allowing for an assessment of the representativeness of the actors involved in the European sectoral social dialogue committee for the gas sector. Their relative representativeness legitimises their right to be consulted, their role and effective participation in the

06 September 2022
Publication
Research report
Representativeness
Social dialogue
Social partners
Collective bargaining
Industrial relations and social dialogue
Industrial relations
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Telework in the EU: Regulatory frameworks and recent updates

This report sets out to map and analyse legislation and collective bargaining on telework in the 27 Member States and Norway. It highlights the main cross-country differences and similarities regarding telework legislation and recent changes to these regulations. It also examines the current situati

01 September 2022
Publication
Research report
Working time
Working conditions
Teleworking
Work-life balance
Work organisation
Agreements
Collective bargaining
Labour and social regulation
Industrial relations and social dialogue
Industrial relations
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Moving with the times: Emerging practices and provisions in collective bargaining

This report analyses recent developments and emerging practices in collective bargaining processes and outcomes, mainly in the private sector. The report covers collective bargaining systems in 10 EU Member States and is based on cases identified through interviews with key stakeholders and

31 August 2022
Publication
Research report
Social dialogue
European Pillar of Social Rights
Agreements
Collective bargaining
COVID-19
Industrial relations and social dialogue
Industrial relations
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Minimum wages in 2022: Annual review

After a cautious round of minimum wage setting for 2021, nominal rates rose significantly for 2022 as the negative consequences of the pandemic eased and economies and labour markets improved. In this context, 20 of the 21 EU Member States with statutory minimum wages raised their rates.

15 June 2022
Publication
Research report
Social dialogue
Social partners
Pay and income
Minimum wage
Collective bargaining
Labour and social regulation
Industrial relations and social dialogue
Industrial relations
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Working life in the COVID-19 pandemic 2021

This publication consists of individual country reports on working life during 2021 for 28 countries – the 27 EU Member States and Norway. The country reports summarise evidence on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on working life based on national research and survey results during 2021. They

19 May 2022
Publication
Other
Social dialogue
Social partners
Pay and income
Working time
Working conditions
COVID-19
Industrial action
Labour and social regulation
Industrial relations and social dialogue
Industrial relations
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Living and working in Europe 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic continued to be a defining force in the lives and work of Europeans for a second year in 2021, and Eurofound continued its work of examining and recording the many and diverse impacts across the EU Member States. Living and working in Europe 2021 provides a snapshot of the chan

09 May 2022
Publication
Annual report
Living and working in Europe
Working conditions and sustainable work
Employment and labour markets
Anticipating and managing the impact of change
Digitalisation
Living conditions and quality of life
Industrial relations and social dialogue
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Involvement of social partners in the national recovery and resilience plans

This report examines the quality of the national social partners’ involvement in designing and implementing reforms and policies in the context of the European Semester cycle and in the preparation of the national reform programmes. Within the framework of NextGenerationEU, Member States in 2021

30 March 2022
Publication
Research report
Social dialogue
Social partners
COVID-19
Industrial relations and social dialogue
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Overtime in Europe: Regulation and practice

Despite the well-known adverse effects of regular long working hours on workers’ health, well-being and performance, many workers in the EU continue to work beyond their normal hours. Part of this additional working time is classified as overtime. This report takes a comparative overview of how

10 March 2022
Publication
Research report
Pay and income
Working time
Working conditions
Work organisation
European Pillar of Social Rights
Industrial relations and social dialogue
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Reinforcing social dialogue in the context of the move towards the green and digital transitions: Background paper

The informal meeting of EU ministers responsible for employment and social policy (EPSCO) took place in Bordeaux on 14–15 February 2022. The meeting focused on the challenges posed by the major green and digital transitions to the labour market, and the way in which the European Union can support th

14 February 2022
Publication
Customised report
Social dialogue
European Green Deal
Digitalisation
Just transition
Industrial relations and social dialogue
Online resources results (1809)

Agreement between LO and NHO on amendments to the Basic Agreement

On Thursday 13 November 1997, the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO) and the Confederation of Norwegian Business and Industry (NHO) agreed to recommend a proposal to amend their Basic Agreement (hovedavtale). The two organisations' representative bodies must approve the new Basic Agreement

27 Samhain 1997
Article
Industrial relations
Industrial action
Participation at work
Employee representation
Industrial relations and social dialogue

Official report evaluates collective bargaining in Portugal

A report submitted to the social partners in autumn 1997 assesses the status of collective bargaining in Portugal. It analyses the structure and level of collective bargaining and critically examines the role of legislation in its operation. Overall the report suggests that the state should curtail

27 Samhain 1997
Article
Collective bargaining
Social dialogue
Labour law
Social partners
Pay and income
Industrial relations
Labour and social regulation
Industrial relations and social dialogue

Personnel secondment creates new challenges to bargaining system

"Personnel secondment "(personaluthyrning) is the Swedish term for the situation whereby persons under an employment contract with one firm are leased to work in another firm. It covers arrangements known variously as hiring-out of labour or temporary agency work in other countries. The practice was

27 Samhain 1997
Article
Non-standard employment
Collective bargaining
Industrial relations
Employment and labour markets
Industrial relations and social dialogue

Plans for a collective agreement in computing

In October 1997, negotiations for a collective agreement covering salaries and working conditions in the computing industry are about to start. They will cover about 10,000 employees working in software and will be conducted by the Union of Salaried Employees (Gewerkschaft der Privatangestellten

27 Deireadh Fómhair 1997
Article
Collective bargaining
Working time
Pay and income
Working conditions
Industrial relations
Working conditions and sustainable work
Industrial relations and social dialogue

Setback for new national social pact

The budget proposed by the Belgian Government for 1998 has greatly disappointed the social partners. Although the Government had asked them to conclude a new social pact to encourage employment, they believe that it has not allocated enough resources to finance one. The partners themselves had

27 Deireadh Fómhair 1997
Article
Collective bargaining
Social dialogue
Social protection
Industrial relations
Social policies
Industrial relations and social dialogue

A wave of trade union mergers

In October 1997, six German trade unions took the decision to merge with one another, reducing the number of affiliates of the German Federation of Trade Unions (Deutscher Gewerkschaftsbund, DGB) from 15 to 11 unions. There were two large merger blocks, centred around the two major industrial unions

27 Deireadh Fómhair 1997
Article
Social partners
Social dialogue
Employee representation
Industrial relations
Industrial relations and social dialogue

Women's trade union fights for its independent status

The National Union of Female Workers (Kvindeligt Arbejderforbund i Danmark, KAD) is the only purely female trade union in the world and a relatively large affiliate of the Danish Confederation of Trade Unions (Landsorganisationen i Danmark, LO), representing 90,000 workers across the public and

27 Deireadh Fómhair 1997
Article
Social partners
Gender equality
Collective bargaining
Social dialogue
Working time
Working conditions
Industrial relations
Working conditions and sustainable work
Industrial relations and social dialogue

The transition of the Hungarian industrial relations system

This is the latest in a series of articles examining the industrial relations systems of the Central and Eastern European countries which are due to start European Union accession negotiations in 1998 - see EU9708143F [1] and EU9709146F [2]. [1] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork

27 Deireadh Fómhair 1997
Article
Industrial relations
Labour law
Employee representation
Social partners
Labour and social regulation
Industrial relations and social dialogue

Preparations for upcoming incomes policy negotiations have started

The Finnish social partners started the preparatory negotiations concerning the next comprehensive incomes policy solution on 30 September 1997. The discussions took place in Helsinki under the lead of the Prime Minister, Paavo Lipponen.

27 Deireadh Fómhair 1997
Article
Collective bargaining
Pay and income
Working time
Non-standard employment
Industrial relations
Employment and labour markets
Industrial relations and social dialogue

Conference on employment, pay and working time

France's tripartite "national conference on employment, pay and working time" was held on 10 October 1997. The agenda was very full, ranging from youth employment to working time by way of pay policy. Prime Minister Lionel Jospin's most dramatic decision was a bill to implement a 35-hour working

27 Deireadh Fómhair 1997
Article
Labour and social regulation
Working time
Collective bargaining
Minimum wage
Retirement
Social protection
Industrial relations
Social policies
Industrial relations and social dialogue
Blogs results (22)
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How to ensure adequate minimum wages in an age of inflation

Minimum wages have risen significantly in 2022, as the EU Member States leave behind the cautious mood of the pandemic. However, rising inflation is eating up these wage increases, and only flexibility in the regular minimum wage setting processes may avoid generalised losses in purchasing power amo

15 Meitheamh 2022
Carlos Vacas‑Soriano
Blog
Pay and income
Minimum wage
Agreements
Industrial relations and social dialogue
Industrial relations
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Resumed EU Semester calls for better involvement of the social partners in implementing recovery and resilience plans

With the arrival of the month of May, the 2022 European Semester Spring Package is anticipated soon. After a transformative year in 2021, which saw the launch of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) under NextGenerationEU, the European Semester cycle has resumed its role as the reference frame

3 Bealtaine 2022
Ricardo Rodriguez Contreras
Blog
Social partners
European Pillar of Social Rights
Labour and social regulation
Industrial relations and social dialogue
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Gender pay transparency: Advancing the cause through a truly European proposal

With its proposed directive on gender pay transparency, the European Commission has significantly bolstered the set of tools for delivering its objectives compared to those presented in its 2014 Recommendation. The proposed portfolio of measures addresses many shortcomings of the instruments that na

18 Meitheamh 2021
Christine Aumayr-Pintar
Blog
Pay and income
Working conditions and sustainable work
Gender equality
Labour and social regulation
Industrial relations and social dialogue
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Minimum wages rise again, but the pandemic puts a brake on their growth

Decision-makers approached minimum wage setting for 2021 cautiously due to the economic uncertainty caused by the pandemic. Despite this, nominal statutory minimum wages rose in most Member States and the UK, although at lower rates than in recent years.

8 Meitheamh 2021
Carlos Vacas‑Soriano
Blog
Social dialogue
Pay and income
Working poor
Minimum wage
European Pillar of Social Rights
Labour market policies
Industrial relations and social dialogue
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New impetus to collective bargaining: Insights from the ECS

In the context of the ongoing trend of a fall in collective bargaining coverage, and recent calls at EU level to promote collective bargaining coverage as an instrument to support fair and decent wages, new data from Eurofound’s fourth European Company Survey (ECS) show that two-thirds of workers (i

28 Deireadh Fómhair 2020
Christine Aumayr-Pintar
Blog
Social dialogue
Collective bargaining
Industrial relations
Minimum wage
Industrial relations and social dialogue
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What Europe can learn from living-wage campaigns

The coronavirus disease (Covid-19) is having drastic consequences for the world of work. In most European countries workers who are not delivering essential ‘frontline’ services are being asked to stay home. Unfortunately many are out of work, while many of those who are not are minimum-wage and low

1 Aibreán 2020
John Hurley
Blog
COVID-19
Working poor
Working conditions and sustainable work
Collective bargaining
Industrial relations
Minimum wage
Industrial relations and social dialogue
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Fears and hopes around future minimum wages

As one of their ‘100 days in office’ initiatives, the new European Commission intends to propose an initiative for an EU minimum wage. The aim is that by 2024 every worker in the EU should earn a fair and adequate wage, no matter where they live.

15 Eanáir 2020
Christine Aumayr-Pintar
Blog
Pay and income
Industrial relations
Minimum wage
Industrial relations and social dialogue
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Restructuring: Do unions still matter?

Trade unions in many EU Member States face the issue of declining membership. This is a fundamental challenge for organised labour, but it is premature to speak about the redundancy unions: when it comes to important decisions affecting the workplace, restructuring being one, trade unions remain a p

20 Samhain 2019
Sara Riso
Blog
Restructuring
Working conditions
Employee representation
Industrial relations
Employment and labour markets
Working conditions and sustainable work
Industrial relations and social dialogue
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100 years of 8-hour working days

The International Labour Organization (ILO) met for the first time 100 years ago, and right at the top of the agenda for discussion for this new specialised UN agency was the 8-hour working day. This discussion subsequently resulted in the Hours of Work (Industry) Convention, which stated that ‘The

12 Samhain 2019
Nils Brandsma
Blog
Working time
Collective bargaining
Industrial relations
Industrial relations and social dialogue
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Member States still getting to grips with the single labour market

The European Platform Tackling Undeclared Work last year documented the case of a Dutch temporary work agency that hired workers of various nationalities to work for a construction company in Belgium. The wages were suspiciously low, and the Belgian Labour Inspectorate believed that EU law guarantee

17 Iúil 2019
Helen Burke
Blog
Posted workers
Working conditions and sustainable work
Working conditions
Undeclared work
Fraudulent work
Labour and social regulation
Industrial relations and social dialogue
Industrial relations
Upcoming publications results (9)

Representativeness study: Agriculture

This study provides information allowing for an assessment of the representativeness of the actors involved in the European sectoral social dialogue committee for the agriculture sector. Their relative representativeness legitimises their right to participate, be consulted and have the potential to

March 2026
Forthcoming
Publication
Research report
Representativeness
Social partners
Social dialogue
Industrial relations and social dialogue

Representativeness study: Maritime transport

This study provides information allowing for an assessment of the representativeness of the actors involved in the European sectoral social dialogue committee for the agriculture sector. Their relative representativeness legitimises their right to participate, be consulted and have the potential to

December 2025
Forthcoming
Publication
Research report
Representativeness
Social partners
Social dialogue
Industrial relations and social dialogue

Representativeness study: Footwear

This study provides information allowing for an assessment of the representativeness of the actors involved in the European sectoral social dialogue committee for the agriculture sector. Their relative representativeness legitimises their right to participate, be consulted and have the potential to

November 2025
Forthcoming
Publication
Research report
Representativeness
Social partners
Social dialogue
Industrial relations and social dialogue

Representativeness study: Ports

This study provides information allowing for an assessment of the representativeness of the actors involved in the European sectoral social dialogue committee for the agriculture sector. Their relative representativeness legitimises their right to participate, be consulted and have the potential to

November 2025
Forthcoming
Publication
Research report
Representativeness
Social partners
Social dialogue
Industrial relations and social dialogue

Representativeness study: Tanning and leather

This study provides information allowing for an assessment of the representativeness of the actors involved in the European sectoral social dialogue committee for the agriculture sector. Their relative representativeness legitimises their right to participate, be consulted and have the potential to

October 2025
Forthcoming
Publication
Research report
Representativeness
Social partners
Social dialogue
Industrial relations and social dialogue

Collective bargaining beyond pay: An analysis of collective agreements in selected low-paid sectors

This report analyses and compares the content of 98 collective agreements across three low-wage sectors in 12 EU Member States. The project builds on Eurofound’s database of collective agreements related to low-paid workers, collected for the Agency’s pilot project on minimum wages.

October 2025
Forthcoming
Publication
Research report
Agreements
Collective bargaining
Industrial relations and social dialogue

Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Graphical sector

This study provides information allowing for an assessment of the representativeness of the actors involved in the European sectoral social dialogue committee for the graphical industry. Their relative representativeness legitimises their right to be consulted, their role and effective participation

September 2025
Forthcoming
Publication
Research report
Representativeness
Social dialogue
Social partners
Collective bargaining
Industrial relations and social dialogue
Industrial relations

Representativeness study: Temporary Agency Work

This study provides information allowing for an assessment of the representativeness of the actors involved in the European sectoral social dialogue committee for the agriculture sector. Their relative representativeness legitimises their right to participate, be consulted and have the potential to

August 2025
Forthcoming
Publication
Research report
Representativeness
Social partners
Social dialogue
Industrial relations and social dialogue

Minimum wages in 2025: Annual review

The 2025 annual review of minimum wages provides a synopsis of minimum wage setting across the EU27 and Norway during 2024. It reports in detail on the processes and outcomes of setting the minimum wage rates for 2025 and beyond.

July 2025
Forthcoming
Publication
Research report
Minimum wage
Pay and income
Industrial relations and social dialogue
Data results (11)

National minimum wages, 2025

Eurofound publishes gross and nominal statutory minimum wages applicable in EU countries that have a statutory minimum wage.

29 Eanáir 2025
Source:
Minimum wages
Reference period:
2025

Degree of satisfaction with involvement in implementation of policies on economic and social cohesion, productivity and competitiveness, EU Member States, 2023

26 Feabhra 2024

Main setting for involving the social partners in RRP implementation, EU Member States, 2023

26 Feabhra 2024

Degree of satisfaction with involvement in implementation of policies on health, and economic, social and institutional resilience, EU Member States, 2023

26 Feabhra 2024

Assessment of the evolution of quality of involvement in implementation of reforms and investments in the RRP since the establishment of the RRF, EU Member States, 2023

26 Feabhra 2024

Degree of satisfaction with involvement in implementation of policies on the green transition and environmental sustainability, EU Member States, 2023

26 Feabhra 2024

Degree of satisfaction regarding involvement in implementation of digital transition policies, EU Member States, 2023

26 Feabhra 2024

Assessment of the potential influence of the measures and reforms included in the RRPs, EU Member States, 2023

26 Feabhra 2024

Number of Member States that use each type of institutional setting for involving the social partners in RRP implementation

26 Feabhra 2024

Degree of satisfaction with involvement in implementation of policies for the next generation, EU Member States, 2023

26 Feabhra 2024

Disclaimer

When freely submitting your request, you are consenting Eurofound in handling your personal data to reply to you. Your request will be handled in accordance with the provisions of Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2018 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data by the Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies and on the free movement of such data. More information, please read the Data Protection Notice.

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