Some problems of partnership and dilemmas of dialogue

RICHARD HYMAN is professor of Industrial Relations at London School of Economics. He is acknowledged as a leading, comparative analyst of European industrial relations, and has recently published “Understanding European Trade Unionism Between Market, Class and Society.” In the present essay, he analyses the conceptual meanings of social dialogue and social partnerships - and he questions whether the new forms of interactions between employers and trade unions dissolve the fundamental conflicts of interests.