Welfare State and Industrial Relations Trends in Poland and the European Union

Poland, just like many other European countries, is facing the important challenge of modernising its welfare system in a challenging economic context and at a time of ongoing fiscal consolidation. Against this background, this public Roundtable discussion represents a key opportunity for scholars as well as national and European stakeholders and policymakers to discuss the contribution of social dialogue to welfare state developments in Poland and the rest of Europe.

Leading scholars will more particularly shed light on recent developments associated with the expansion of so-called ‘contract welfare’ in nine European countries: Austria, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Specific attention is paid to the challenges and opportunities of contract welfare in the reform of unemployment and pensions schemes.