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. Report

    Lessons learned from employment diagnostics during the COVID-19 crisis

    27 May 2022

    The overall objective of this document is to provide policymakers, development practitioners and social partners with a better understanding of the different types of employment diagnostic approaches that have been undertaken during the Covid-19 pandemic.

  2. Online

    Gender-responsive employment policies for a job-rich and fair recovery

    A new generation of gender-responsive employment policies can play an important role to promote an inclusive and job-rich recovery from the COVID-19 crisis. This webinar will bring together experts and policymakers from different regions to share knowledge on how they have produced specific diagnostics on how women and men have been impacted by the crisis, and the ways in which they have progressed in implementing gender-responsive policies.

  3. Publication

    From policy to results: Guidelines for implementation of national employment policies

    07 December 2021

    These Guidelines aim to support ILO’s member States in designing and implementing integrated national employment policies. They suggest a comprehensive framework of implementation and a range of tools and methodologies which covers the whole NEPs process systematically from policy design to policy results.

  4. Publication

    Employment Situation in Latin America and the Caribbean (Number 25): Policies to protect labour relations and hiring subsidies amid the COVID-19 pandemic

    30 November 2021

    This edition of the Employment Situation in Latin America and the Caribbean report, jointly prepared twice-yearly by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) analyses the effects of the crisis caused by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in the region’s labour markets during 2020 and 2021, and they stress the importance of the policies implemented by countries to mitigate this impact.

  5. Policy Brief

    Building Forward Fairer: Women’s rights to work and at work at the core of the COVID-19 recovery

    19 July 2021

    This policy brief provides an outlook of where women stand in the labour market after more than a year into the COVID-19 pandemic.

  6. World Youth Skills Day 2021

    Reimagining Youth Skills Post-Pandemic

    This year’s World Youth Skills Day will again take place in a challenging context, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and with education and training systems yet to return to pre-crisis conditions. It aims to celebrate the resilience and creativity of youth throughout the crisis and focus attention on how technical and vocational education and training (TVET) systems have adapted to the pandemic, participate in the recovery, and imagine priorities they should adopt for the post-COVID-19 world.

  7. Publication

    Social dialogue one year after the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic: Spotlight on outcomes

    14 June 2021

    Analysis of tripartite and bipartite social dialogue initiatives between governments and employers' and workers' organisations at national or sectoral level, which have been instrumental in shaping countries' responses to the crisis.

  8. Publication

    Employment Situation in Latin America and the Caribbean (Number 24): Decent work for platform workers in Latin America

    14 June 2021

    This edition of the Employment Situation in Latin America and the Caribbean report, jointly prepared twice-yearly by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) analyses the labour market trends in Latin America and the Caribbean amid the COVID-19 health crisis.

  9. World Day for Safety and Helath at Work 2021

    Global dialogue on safety and health at work in response to emergencies and crises

    Virtual discussion on the importance of anticipating, preparing and responding to crises: invest now in resilient occupational safety and health, in the context of COVID-19.

  10. Awareness campaign

    World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2021

    The COVID-19 pandemic has led governments, employers, workers and the general population to face unprecedented challenges in relation to the virus and the many effects it has had on the world of work. The World Day for Safety and Health at Work will focus on strategies to strengthen national occupational safety and health (OSH) systems to build resilience, in order to face crises now and in the future, drawing on lessons learned and experiences from the world of work.