Bipartite social dialogue
Bipartite social dialogue means the interaction of only two parties, which in practice usually refers to the interaction between employers and trade unions. It is mainly aimed at collective bargaining.
Collective bargaining agreement
Collective bargaining agreement is a special subject matter of law (it exists only in labour law). It is concluded by the contracting parties and applies to all workers. On the side of the workers, collective bargaining agreements are concluded exclusively by trade unions, and on the side of the employer, they may be concluded by the Croatian Government, employers' associations, individual employers or the local government (for instance, kindergartens). Parties to a collective bargaining agreement are determined by the Law on the Representativeness of Employers' Associations and Trade Unions.
Economic – Social Council (ESC)
Tripartite dialogue in certain forms has been present in Croatia since 1993. It was formalized in 1994 by the establishment of the Economic and Social Council (ESC), as the official national tripartite body.
Industrial relations
This concept first appeared in the mid-80s of the 19th century in the United States, but its wider use started around 1910, when the US President Wilson convened the tripartite commission called the Commission on Industrial Relations. At a time when the majority of employees in developed countries do not work in industry, but in a variety of service industries, this term seems inadequate. Therefore, some authors, mainly European, often use notions such as "labour relations" or "employment relations", but the original term is still most common in scientific literature. Among the Croatian professional public, more frequently used terms for this area come from two disciplines which until recently have had a dominant public influence on these topics, i.e. the law, which uses the notion of "collective labour relations", and the economy, in which the subject matter is explored within "human resources management".
Social dialogue
Under social dialogue, the International Labour Organization implies a bipartite or tripartite dialogue at any level that involves as partners the employers, trade unions and possibly the government, regardless of the objectives of the dialogue.
The International Labour Organisation
The International Labour Organization (ILO) is a tripartite international organization in which member countries have representatives of their governments, employers and workers in a ratio of 2: 1: 1. The conventions of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) are international agreements and as such, in accordance with Article 141 of the Croatian Constitution, if ratified and published, they represent a part of the legal order in the Republic of Croatia and they override the national law.
Trade union commissioner
A trade union commissioner is an employee who is employed by the employer and has the right to protect and promote the rights and interests of union members. The employer has the obligation to enable the commissioner to exercise such rights in a timely and effective manner and provide access to information necessary for their realization, and the commissioner must exercise his rights in a manner that does not harm the employer's operations.
Trade union representative
A trade union representative has the same rights and obligations as a trade union commissioner, but he is not an employee of the employer and cannot be replaced by the Workers' Council.
Wide social dialogue
A wide social dialogue means interaction between three parties (employers, unions and the government) that addresses wider social and economic issues. When other actors are involved in such a social dialogue, such as NGOs or other interest groups, then it is called a comprehensive social dialogue.