Training, social dialogue and collective bargaining in western Europe

Training is commonly regarded as essential to the competitiveness of national economies and individual enterprises. It is also seen as a vital means of enhancing the employment security of workers. To that extent, it has been claimed that continuing training may provide fertile ground for the development of social dialogue and joint initiatives by employers and trade unions. Trade unions across Europe have also increasingly sought to have training included on collective bargaining agendas. This article examines recent developments in collective bargaining and social dialogue in respect of continuing training. It explores experiences in a number of Western European economies, in addition to social dialogue at the European level. It is suggested that the prospects for the development of effective social dialogue and consensual approaches to continuing training are more uncertain than is sometimes supposed.