Research seminar on Zsuzsanna Árendás’s and Sára Hungler’s paper: “The Empty Shell of Social Dialogue – Case Study from Hungary”

The European Social Model involves among other things: fundamental social rights, social protection and social dialogue. The neoliberal path chosen by Europe combined with the financial crisis led to the introduction of austerity measures that endanger key elements of that model. Europe and its Member States have common and national mechanisms to ensure distributive justice, citizens’ participation and the continuity of the European Social Model even when it is threatened by international financial conditions or the political choices of its rulers. As a part of theETHOS Struggles for Justice – Impact of Social and EU Charters in times of crisis project, our research aims to answer two leading questions: to what extent is national social dialogue is a democratic instrument that uses horizontal and democratic processes and whether it is a powerful instrument for the preservation of the European Social Model?

Our presentation focuses on the actual status and functioning of social dialogue as a mechanism to produce a more effective enjoyment of labour rights between the different political and social actors in Hungary.  Key political actors and leaders of trade unions and employers’ association were interviewed for the project, and also the relevant international and national legal framework concerning social dialogue was analysed. The case studies concern two special – highly polarised and politicised – areas: healthcare and public education. 

• Date: 28 March 2018, 10:00-12:00
• Venue: Humanities Research House Council Room (H-1097 Budapest, Tóth Kálmán street 4., Ground floor 25.)
• Working Language: Hungarian
• Contact: Sára Hungler