Over the past eleven years tripartite bodies have started appearing even in the countries in transition, with the aim to, through a wide social consensus, decrease the social price of the transition of the centralized state - planned economy into the market economy with social attributes.

In the creation of tripartite structures in the countries in transition, an important role was played by International Labor Organization, which has shown the social partnership and dialogue development streams , through its conventions and recommendations (Recommendation No. 113 on the consultations at the level of industries and on the national level from 1960; Convention No. 144 on the tripartite consultations - international work standards from 1976; and Recommendation No. 152 on tripartite consultations from 1976, etc.)

All these documents show that the tripartite cooperation is the best method to develop democracy and is the hypothesis for the creation and realization of the successful economic policy, acceptable from the social aspect as well. ILO has especially emphasized that the economic systems which wish to survive and develop further, should rely upon dialogue and participation, so that the other social partners would be able to exchange their opinions on the issues of social-economic development, to make decisions, to be useful for all of the parties involved, and to secure more righteous distribution of what was created based on the jointly agreed and implemented economic policy.

Countries in the region of  South East Europe are facing numerous problems in establishing of the social dialogue and its development. Existence of the legal framework is not sufficient. Readiness of the authorities, above all, to apply effective and efficient social dialogue in practice is of essential importance. Capability of the social partners to adequately participate in all stages of this process is also very important. Their representative quality along with their professionalism and responsibility  is a prerequisite for a successful social dialogue as well as industrial relations.

In all of the countries of the region of South-East Europe (except for the federal Republic of Yugoslavia) the basic tripartite institutions have already been formed. Establishing of the economic and social councils in almost all countries of the South Eastern Europe (excluding FRY) is a result of new authorities' efforts aimed at harmonizing of the labour legislation with international regulations, requirements of the European institutions and strong efforts of certain trade union organizations as well. They saw these institutions as a possibility for their direct participation and influence in the decision making process in the field of reform as well as social and economic development.

Tripartite councils in all the countries of South-East Europe have primarily consultation role, even though in some places governments are obligated to consult them when discussing or preparing for adoption one of the laws from the field of economic relations and social policy. Economic social councils are usually involved in the policy of wages, pensions, active employment policy, work conditions, competitiveness of the national economy, consequences of the introduction of new technologies, protection at work, problems of national development, social issues, retraining of the workers, etc.

Past eleven year practice in the South East Europe brings one to the conclusion that social dialogue has, in spite of numerous obstacles, come to life and has given best results in the field of creation of institutional and legal suppositions of the new working relations in the environment of transition into the market economy, resolution of bigger conflicts in the filed of work relations and the involvement of trade unions and employers in the formulation and implementation of the measures of economic and social policies of the governments. Tripartition has played a key role in the decrease of social tensions and in securing social peace.

Three main functions of tripartition can be identified in the countries in transition in South East Europe. They are the following:

•  involvement in the creation of institutional suppositions for the new working relations, as well as in overcoming obstacles that stand in the way of building new working relations in the market economy environment;
• involvement in the elaboration and social implementation of the government measures (primarily in the field of wage policy, social protection, employment and income policy);
• resolution of collective labor disputes.

Institutionalization of tripartition in the region of South East Europe represents one of the most efficient ways to finish the already started and announced reforms, to go through the privatization process with not very many bumps and to speed up the overall transition process towards democratic society and market economy.

Initiative for the social cohesion in the framework of the Stability Pact will contribute to the development and strengthening of the social dialogue at both national and international level.

But, the institutionalization of the social dialogue itself and the new legislature are not enough to substitute for the inheritance of the negative, often even anti-union, practice in the countries of this region. There are some examples that the tripartite institutions are, even though they were formed, empty, useless, facing the problem of the lack of will for dialogue, lack of knowledge to resolve complex social, economic and overall development problems. In such cases institutionalization of social dialogue, as well as tripartition, both serve as a screen, as a cover for the governments for their alleged democratic legitimacy. Facade democracy thus receives just one more ornament, with no legal importance for the overall social life in the countries of this region. Often even the social partners do not have enough bargaining capacity to bring life and responsibility into the institutions of social dialogue, which thus remain just formal, with no real influence on the social development.

Development and implementation of social dialogue in the countries of South-East Europe, apart from the mentioned weaknesses, gradually contributes to the legitimization, strengthening of the independence, and influence of the social partners, and makes them responsible for the most important questions of the social and economic development, that the state can no longer decide upon exclusively, as was done in the past. Economic - social councils gradually contribute to the stabilization of the relationship state-workers-employers as well, creating preconditions for social peace, and, as bodies for tripartite dialogue, function as a mechanism to avoid labor disputes and social conflicts of wider dimensions, and represent the central place where differences between representatives of workers, capital and state are harmonized.

Federal Republic of Yugoslavia has been excluded from this process.  Therefore, it is necessary to make a precise study of the experience of the South East European countries in the process of social dialogue development and, on the basis of this experience,  provide assistance in developing of the social dialogue in Yugoslavia - Serbia and Montenegro.

In order to provide this assistance, it would be necessary to:

•  Establish professional and scientific co-operation with individuals, organizations and institutions from each country in the South Eastern Europe; ( I have already established certain co-operation and communication  with some of them, so it would be an easy part of work.)
• Organize study visits in these countries in order to be directly informed about political, economic and social conditions, which contributed to establishing of the concrete models of  social dialogue and tripartism in these countries; (It would be particularly important to analyze the experience of Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania, meaning that the Project provides for three study visits in these respective countries).
• Analyze the working experience of tripartite institutions in these countries;
• Make a proposal for the development of tripartism and social dialogue in Serbia and Montenegro - Yugoslavia, on the basis of these respective experiences and other knowledge;
• Establish co-operation with social partners in the country in order to implement this initiative. (Trade unions, employers and a state are hereby defined as social partners. Serbia, Montenegro and federal level would be included in this project related to FRY.)