Social Dialogue as a Supporting Mechanism for Restructuring Processes

This paper analyzes the impact of social dialogue on the restructuring process in the Polish steel industry, using the history of restructuring in the same sector in the United Kingdom as a frame of reference. Despite steep declines in employment, due to technological, organisational, and ownership changes in the sector, restructuring in Poland did not encounter particularly strong resistance on the part of organised labour, in contrast to the powerful union response seen in the UK. The difference is attributed to the presence of active social dialogue at the sectoral level in Poland and the absence of such dialogue in the UK.