Social dialogue and competence development : the role of Malta’s social partners

Abstract

Under the impact of the global financial crisis (2007-8), the European Commission has become more focused on safeguarding the economic stability and financial viability of member states than on its social policies. This trend is particularly evident in the lower emphasis attached to the practice of social dialogue at both the European level and that of the member states. More recently, however, as the EU economy is slowly recovering, new initiatives are being undertaken to restore social dialogue to its rightful place among EU institutions and operations. This paper looks critically at the practice of social dialogue in Malta. It assesses the roles played by the social partners – particularly the trade unions – in social dialogue and suggests that the effectiveness of these roles may be significantly enhanced through professional training, better organisation, devolution of authority structures and the further development of the competences of both the main protagonists and of the lower participants in the social dialogue institutions.