A process of exchange between social partners to promote consultation, dialogue and collective bargaining.

Comment:

1. social dialogue can be bipartite (involving representatives of workers and employers) or tripartite (also associating public authorities and/or representatives of civil society, NGOs, etc.);
2. social dialogue can take place at various levels (company, sectoral/cross-sectoral and local/regional/national/transnational);
3. at international level, social dialogue can be bilateral, trilateral or multilateral, according to the number of countries involved.

SOURCE: Cedefop, 2003.