This panel aims to carry out a comparative analysis of labour law reforms and social dialogue initiatives in several EU Member States. The main aim of the session is to examine the involvement of the social partners on structural labour market reforms at EU Member States level. The papers in the panel deal with the role of the social partners in the reforms of collective bargaining systems and labour protection legislation. They also asses to what extent these reforms are efficient in achieving the objectives that they are aiming at: namely, enhanced employability, reduced labour market segmentation, and flexibility.

The papers examine the role played by social partners in reforming social legislation and enhancing employability. Attention has been paid to the impact of national reforms in the areas of employment protection legislation and collective bargaining structures, leading to greater flexibility in fixing working conditions, including working time adjustments and setting of wages. Many of these labour law reforms, in the economic crisis context, are fighting labour market segmentation and promoting more active employment policies as a response to a paradigm shift from job security to employment security.

This panel presents the results of an interdisciplinary research project. The research has involved legal analysis of the reforms of employment protection legislation and qualitative research based on interviews with social partners and policy makers on the role of social dialogue in the reform of labour market institutions and industrial relations.