Improving labour market governance through effective social dialogue over labour reforms

Social Dialogue is one of the four pillars of the Decent Work Agenda and it plays an important role in advancing the European Social Model and delivering benefits for employers, workers, and for the economy and society as a whole. Therefore, strengthening the actors and institutions of social dialogue is a way to ensure that reforms of the labour market and social protection systems are fair and effective. Fundamental principles and rights at work as laid down in ILO core conventions, namely Freedom of Association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining, non-discrimination in employment and occupation, prohibition of forced labour and of child labour, and tripartite social dialogue are also embedded in the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) and constitute an important part of the EU acquis. The principle of social dialogue is at the heart of the ILO, as well as a core element of the TFEU and the newly established European Pillar of Social Rights. Both ILO and EU take the view that social and economic reforms should be devised and implemented through genuine tripartite social dialogue between the government and the national social partners. This project is closely connected with the legislative agenda of the Government of Montenegro to align the Labour Code and secondary legislation to international labour standards and EU Directives. The ILO intervention facilitates tripartite agreement over controversial subject matters and enhances technical capacity of the tripartite drafting group through enhanced understanding of international labour standards and exposure to European comparative law and practice. The action also strengthens the capacities of actors and institutions of social dialogue, namely social partners, especially those of trade unions and the Social Council to play a more effective role in labour market governance. The project thus contributes to fulfilment of the government`s obligations established under the Action plan for Chapter 19 Social Policy and Employment, Programme of Accession of Montenegro to the EU (PAMNE) 2018 – 2020, Mid-term Government Work Programme 2018 – 2020 and the Programme of Economic Reforms (PER 2018-2020), the National Strategy for Employment and Development of Human resources 2016-2020. The project contributes to the goals set out in the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) 2017-2021, under Social inclusion and Democratic Governance pillars.

Project symbol

MNE/18/01/EUR

Admin unit

DWT/CO-Budapest

Start date

01/02/2019

End date

31/07/2021

Total allocation

278855

Total expenditure

Status

Closed

263785

Development Partners

Delegation of the European Union to Montenegro

Country/Countries

Montenegro

Outcomes

Outcome 1: Strong tripartite constituents and influential and inclusive social dialogue