Social dialogue

Working together for fair and sustainable business practices

Effective agreements on fair working conditions are reached when employees and employers engage in genuine dialogue. We refer to this consultation between trade unions, employers and the government on socio-economic issues as social dialogue. Social dialogue ensures safety, stability and continuity in the workplace – and supports companies in meeting their corporate social responsibility (CSR) and due diligence obligations. CNV Internationaal strengthens social dialogue worldwide.

Index

What is social dialogue?

What is social dialogue?

Social dialogue is the structured consultation between employers, employees and, often, the government on working conditions, pay, health and safety, productivity and human resources policy.

Social dialogue encompasses all forms of negotiation (such as collective agreement negotiations). However, consultation, advice and the exchange of information on socio-economic issues are also forms of social dialogue.

It includes:

negotiations (such as collective agreements)
consultation and advice
exchange of information
joint problem analysis and solution-finding

There are various forms, depending on the number of parties involved:

Bipartite: employers and trade unions
Tripartite: employers, trade unions and the government
Tripartite plus: this form offers opportunities in international supply chains as it also involves international companies.

Social dialogue is a core component of international labour standards and forms the basis for decent work.

Social dialogue as both a goal and a tool

Conditions for constructive social dialogue

Why?

Social dialogue facilitates joint outcomes between employees and employers in a peaceful and therefore sustainable manner.

Social dialogue based on respect prevents industrial unrest and thereby promotes the investment climate and sustainable economic and social development.

Double motivation

CNV Internationaal promotes social dialogue for two reasons:

as an end in itself, to strengthen cohesion within a company, sector and society,
as a sustainable tool for improving the quality of work, working conditions and income through collective agreements at national, sectoral and company level.

There are a number of key conditions necessary to enable constructive social dialogue:

Strong partners, from both trade unions and employers’ organisations,
access to relevant information, political support,
respect for core labour standards,
freedom of association
and the freedom to negotiate terms and conditions of employment.

What if there is no strong culture of consultation?

In many manufacturing countries, there is no strong culture of consultation such as that which has developed in the Dutch ‘polder’. As a result, labour rights – including freedom of association, safe working conditions and a living wage – are not always respected.

Experience in the Netherlands shows that a strong culture of social dialogue contributes to:

preventing production instability and unexpected conflicts
improving productivity and
preventing staff turnover
protection against reputational risks and problems during audits
adequate compliance with CSR obligations
reducing the risk of abuses such as exploitation or unsafe working conditions

Social dialogue in the implementation of new due diligence legislation

At the same time, pressure on companies is mounting due to new regulations, such as the European Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence legislation; customers and governments expect companies to demonstrably respect labour rights and systematically address risks. In this context, too, social dialogue is a business necessity.

Through social dialogue:

risks are identified at an early stage
problems are less likely to escalate
agreements enjoy broader support within the company
companies can demonstrate compliance with international standards
stability and predictability are fostered throughout the supply chain

Social dialogue is both a human rights principle and a strategic component of modern business management.

CNV Internationaal

Our approach: working towards constructive social dialogue

1. Establishing robust consultation structures

CNV Internationaal brings together employee representatives, managers, governments, employers’ organisations and sectoral organisations in a constructive manner. Together, we engage in dialogue on issues relevant to each of these parties, such as safety, labour rights and a living wage. This leads to realistic, widely supported agreements that ultimately benefit everyone.

2. Training sessions bring staff and management together

We often develop these skills on both sides – that is, amongst both employees and employers: Together, we work step by step on:

effective communication
negotiation and mediation
conflict resolution
building trust

3. Multi-company collective bargaining agreements increase their impact

To increase the impact of social dialogue, CNV Internationaal has developed an approach that enables trade unions to engage in social dialogue with several companies – and often regional authorities as well – simultaneously. This is somewhat comparable to the Dutch model of sectoral collective agreements, something that does not usually exist elsewhere in the world. The agreements are set out in what are known as multi-company collective agreements (MC-CBA's).

These are the advantages of these multi-company collective agreements:

lower transaction costs
a level playing field within sectors
a broad impact for many employees
more stable supply chains

The value of social dialogue

Social dialogue works for all parties involved. The results are visible in all countries where CNV Internationaal is active.

For employees

Better wages and safer working conditions
Greater voice
Freedom to organise

For companies

Fewer disruptions and conflicts
Higher productivity and better quality
Stable supply chains and predictable planning
Stronger reputation among clients

For sectors

Level playing field
Better collaboration
Sustainable economic growth

The success of social dialogue in value chains

Mining

In the mining sector, we achieved a significant result in Colombia: the closure of coal mines is now required by law to involve miners actively through social dialogue. This ensures that workers have a say in transition processes and agreements on safety and redeployment, and prevents escalation and social tensions in mining regions.

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Textile

In the textile sector, we work with social partners to establish sector-wide agreements through multi-company collective agreements (MC-CBAs). These collective agreements apply to several factories at once, provide uniform terms and conditions of employment, and create a more stable and fairer playing field for both employees and companies.

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Horticulture

In the horticultural sector – including in Mali and within the cashew supply chain – we are working with trade unions and employers to establish regular consultations on wages, safety, seasonal labour and better working conditions on plantations and in processing facilities.

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