The Bureau for Workers’ Activities (ACTRAV) of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) has designed a manual on Social Dialogue for trade union trainers responsible for organising courses at the sectoral and/or national level. A particular focus is put on the Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs), both EU New Member States and Candidate Countries, and thus the specific conditions and needs trade unionists from these countries face when it comes to strengthening Social Dialogue.
The manual comprises seven short training modules, each dealing with a specific issue. In Modules 1-4, training focuses on enabling trade unionists to gain a better understanding of the different aspects and levels of Social Dialogue. These modules cover a basic introduction to Social Dialogue, some more detailed explanation of the national and European level processes, as well as a presentation of European Works Councils as one specific instrument of company-based transnational dialogue. Modules 5 and 6 focus on skills training. They address the specific Social Dialogue competences of conflict resolution and negotiation skills. Module 7 deals with gender mainstreaming – a crucial, transversal topic in all Social Dialogue processes.