Within the EU institutional framework, the active dialogue, consultation and negotiation between employer and trade union representatives is highly important and indeed holds Treaty status. ICF GHK is committed to providing high quality research, advice and training to European and national social partner organisations. We also provide research for the European Commission and other European agencies such as Eurofound on the impact of social dialogue.

Assignments include: training and capacity building for effective dialogue and the identification of relevant partner organisations (including in the EU12 and accession countries); research on key trends at the sectoral level, in the labour market, skills development, industrial relations, restructuring and working conditions; research on the transposition and implementation of social partner made legislation; ex-ante and ex-post impact assessments of social partner made legislation and agreements; and research on the role of social dialogue and collective bargaining in national policy making.