Starting Social Dialogue

Peruvian employers and trade unions have a growing interest in social dialogue and want to widen  their talks beyond the traditional negotiations about wages and working conditions. DECP is supporting the employers of the Sociedad Nacional de Industria (SNI), a Business Members Organisation  (BMO) with a history of over a hundred years, in starting this dialogue using the experience of the Dutch ‘polder model’.

For a long time employers and trade unions in Peru did not really consult each other, there was too much distrust. However, cautious change appears to be in the air. According to the social partners the government has little need for input from employers and trade unions. Therefore social partners depend on each other.

In October 2014 a delegation of the trade union CGTP and SNI visited the Netherlands on invitation of FNV Mondiaal – counter part of DECP on the trade union side - to take note of the famous polder model. The members of the Peruvian delegation were particularly surprised by the function of the Labor Foundation (Stichting van de Arbeid), where employers and employees talk to each other about various topics.

A return visit from the Netherlands made clear that the Peruvians were serious about setting up their own social dialogue. Peruvian trade unions already have the support of FNV Mondiaal in this respect. In November 2015 Sip Nieuwsma and Peter Boorsma visited Lima to explore the interest of employers in support by DECP in this field. They found out that not only SNI, but also the construction sector (Capeco) and Confiep, a federation of sectoral BMO’s, want to take steps forward in social dialogue.

After the presidential elections in June 2016 DECP-representatives will visit Peru again for further support of the employers’ organizations on the theme of social dialogue.