From COVID-19 emergency measures to a new strengthened system of industrial relations

During 2020-21, in all EU countries, governments as well as national, regional and local administrations and affiliated institutions (such as public employment services) have sought to introduce diverse measures to mitigate the potentially devastating impact of CIVID-19 on economies, labour markets and whole societies. Often, also business/employer organisations and employee representatives have been involved, whereby the role of social partner organisations in participating in the design of or influencing these measures differs widely across the EU-27. This study, which has been initiated and financed by the Workers Group of the European Economic and Social Committee, aims at obtaining an overview of the involvement of social partners in measures to cushion the negative impacts of the pandemic and – in the best case – to drive forth long-term reforms to transform the European economy into a more socially, economically and environmentally sustainable one, as well as at identifying and analysing social partner initiatives that can serve as best practice cases also in other industrial relations and socio-economic contexts.