| Abstract [eng] |
Recently, an intensive process takes place where the step is being made from legal to the contractual regulation of labour relations and the emphasis is made on social partnership agreements (compositions), thus awakening the curiosity and encouraging to take a closer look at the collective labour relations, their origins and evolution, to analyze the effects of the ongoing dialogue between the social partners to legislation and benefits to participants of employment relations. Thus, this paper analyzes the phenomenon of collective labour relations, focusing on the modern concept, history and regulatory developments of its constituent elements – the social partnership, collective negotiations and collective contracts and collective labour disputes – as well as how the stakeholders (social partners) of industrial relations can influence the modern social policy. After the analysis of the collected sources it was determined that the influence of collective labour relations to social policy in general and to employment laws in particular have effects at all levels – International, regional (European Union) and national. The implications of collective labour relations for social policy in international (global) level is best demonstrated by the activities of the International Labour Organization which are based on the principle of trilateral cooperation. This international organization forms the basic minimum labour standards, which become mandatory to the Member States after the ratification of ILO Conventions. In the European Union level, collective labour relations have a unique and guiding position in the democratic governance of the Europe. The European social partners are involved in the legislative process and consulted on specific social policy tools, and moreover they are offered the opportunity to decide on the need for regulation and conclude an appropriate agreement. Implications of collective labour relations for social policy at the national level are best demonstrated by the activities of the Lithuanian Tripartite Council. Their tripartite social dialogue plays an important role in harmonizing the interests of participants of legal labour relations in key areas such as the formation of national labour standards and determination of the minimum monthly wage. |
