Summer School on Social Dialogue
© Alice Lotti
Summer School on Social Dialogue
SOCIAL DIALOGUE AND LIVING WAGES
22–24 September 2026
Next editions
How can social dialogue make living wages a reality?
Explore the answers in the Summer School on Social Dialogue, a unique space where employers, trade unionists, researchers, and policymakers come together to tackle one of today's most pressing labour challenges.
Key Features
Expert-led Sessions
ILO specialists, researchers, and social partners sharing real-world wage policy expertise.
Immersive Format
3 days on the ITCILO campus in Turin — theory, case studies, and hands-on workshops.
Tripartite Perspective
Employers, trade unions, and governments — all at the table.
Peer Exchange
Network with practitioners and policymakers from around the world.
Introduction to the course
More than half of the world's workers are wage earners, yet many do not earn enough to live decently, particularly in low-income countries. In response to persistent low pay and in-work poverty, initiatives promoting a living wage are increasing, including within multinational enterprises. In February 2024, the ILO adopted a common definition of the living wage, along with principles for its estimation and implementation, and received a mandate to support its constituents in applying it. Social dialogue plays a key role in operationalising living wage. According to ILO principles, wages should be determined through collective bargaining or through a statutory minimum wage established within a tripartite framework. Strong social dialogue, based on shared access to information and respect for the autonomy of social partners, makes it possible to reconcile workers' needs with economic realities while strengthening the legitimacy and effectiveness of wage policies.
Who attends this course?
This programme is intended for representatives of employers' and workers' organisations, practitioners involved in social dialogue processes, including human resources and sustainability officials within multinational enterprises, civil servants responsible for labour, members of wage-setting institutions, as well as researchers specialising in corporate governance, industrial relations, and human rights.
Why take this course?
In a rapidly evolving global context, the issue of the living wage has become central to ensuring decent living conditions for all workers. This Summer School will enable you to gain a better understanding of the living wage and the role of social dialogue.
Learning Objectives
After this training, you will be able to:
- Analyse the challenges and opportunities related to the introduction and implementation of living wages.
- Understand the role of tripartite social dialogue and collective bargaining in integrating living wages into wage-setting systems.
- Identify innovative practices and institutional arrangements supporting the implementation of living wages in different national contexts.
- Promote evidence-based dialogue at the enterprise, sectoral and national level on wage policies
Content and Methodology
- The programme will combine theoretical presentations, comparative analysis, participatory workshops and expert testimonies.
- It will also include a dedicated research section where contributors selected through a competitive process will present innovative work on social dialogue, wage setting and living wages.
- Drawing on national and international experiences, these contributions will stimulate debate, deepen understanding of the institutional conditions for more equitable wage policies, and strengthen the links between theory and practice.
Languages
The Summer School will take place in French and English with interpretation provided in both languages.
Our Experts
This training is organised in cooperation between the ITCILO, the International Labour Organisation and with the financial support of the French Ministry of Labour, Health and Solidarity.
I greatly appreciated the diversity of exchanges as well as the opportunity to interact with researchers, workers’ representatives and participants from around the world.
Christine Blanc-Michelland
Project Manager, Social Dialogue Department, EDF Group
Registration and Practical information
To apply, click “Apply Now” and complete the online form before the application deadline. Sponsored applicants must include a sponsorship letter covering course fees.
The course fee includes full board accommodation at the ITCILO campus, routine medical care, medical insurance, and internet access. Travel costs to and from the course venue, passport and visa fees, and airport taxes are not included.
Participants must notify the Centre at least 14 days before the course start date if they wish to withdraw. Please consult the ITCILO Payment and Cancellation Policy for detailed information.
Start learning about this Topic
Strengthen your skills with our Industrial Relations Toolkit: a practical and interactive tool for self-paced learning.
To understand the institutional framework of social dialogue and collective bargaining, explore the Social Dialogue and Tripartism – ILO page.
Also discover the ILO flagship report – The State of Social Justice 2025 to follow global trends in labour relations and collective bargaining.
Discover the 2025 Summer School Publication
Explore the key debates, expert contributions, and outcomes from the 2025 Summer School on Social Dialogue — a rich resource for anyone working on living wages and collective bargaining.
Join the ITCILO Summer School on Social Dialogue
Explore living wages, collective bargaining, and wage-setting systems with global experts.
