The Government, trade unions, organisations and employers will all benefit from having an open conversation between them. That’s why they are working towards creating more effective ways to communicate by striving to utilise social dialogue.

Constant communication and a safe space to have an open discussion are two basic pillars of social dialogue. We know this term might sound a bit difficult, but this notion is actually super important when it comes to moving forward.

So, let’s start from the beginning… 

What is social dialogue? 

Social Dialogue is when discussions, consultations and joint actions involving public authorities and trade unions and employers organisations are made. So, in simpler terms, it’s a collaborative way for everyone affected to have an equal say.

By looking at both sides of the coin, social dialogue aims to give employers and workers a voice. That way they can work together to achieve a common goal.

Why it’s important 

SEM (Servizzi Ewropej f’Malta) is one of the government entities that have as one of its main functions the promotion of social dialogue locally through the dissemination of EU-related information to stakeholders (social partners, civil society organisations, public and private entities and the public) on EU proposals for policy and legislation.

Promoting improved social dialogue in Malta, supported by Norway through the Norway Grants in the frame of the programme ‘Social Dialogue – Decent Work’ aims to raise awareness and promote social dialogue in the Maltese context. 

The main takeaway from the project was a closer look at how Malta’s Social Dialogue model compares to the Norwegian model and improve social dialogue in Malta through recommendations to the government. These recommendations were presented to Minister Carmelo Abela during a business breakfast for local stakeholders held on the 2nd December of this year. 

During their research, SEM was able to take a closer look at how social dialogue affects the Maltese nation.

What is the Promoting Improved Social Dialogue in Malta project?

The project began by engaging in conversations with Norwegian social partners. The aim of this was to help shed light on the Norwegian model of tripartite dialogue. Big word, but don’t worry, we’ll explain.

Tripartite dialogue is when employers, workers, and the public authorities all meet up and discuss any relevant topics with each other.

With the government, unions, and employers all coming together to have a discussion, we are already engaging in tripartite dialogue.

MISCO International was commissioned to conduct research that looks at comparing and contrasting the two models. 

This study was carried out in two forms, with both desk research and one-to-one interviews being carried out.

The aim of both these tasks is to analyse where we currently stand in terms of effective communication. Once we know where we stand, a discussion filled with ideas and recommendations could follow.  

MISCO International kept two things in mind;

1. Norway’s model for social dialogue spanned over hundreds of years, whilst Malta is still at the 30-year mark. 

2. In Norway, these changes were instigated by the people whilst in Malta, these changes are being instigated by the government.

How you can help 

Thanks to SEM, we as an island have the opportunity to open our lines of communication. You can have an open conversation with the people at SEM themselves by contacting them here. 

The main recommendations that came out of the project are that social dialogue in Malta should be future looking with a sustainable vision in the long-term, addressing a wide spectrum of topics, and move towards a more engaging process that gives results for workers and employers as well as society as a whole.

Now that we’ve made the concept of social dialogue more accessible, we hope you understand this initiative better and you won’t be afraid to speak up about changes you wish to see made. 

Tag someone and get talking!