
Integrating Diversity in Social Dialogue
By non-standard work, we refer to temporary employment, part-time work, on-call work, disguised employment, and dependent self-employment. These workers are often excluded from social dialogue processes and lack the same protections and opportunities to voice their concerns as permanent employees.
This project aims to explore the needs, interests, and motivations of non-standard workers in engaging with social dialogue. Additionally, we seek to assess the capacity and willingness of social partners to integrate these workers into existing dialogue structures.
Researchers from Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Slovakia and United Kingdom participates. The project started in February 2025 and will last for 48 months.
The project is divided into several work-packages. See "Project overview" for more details.
Social dialogue is a cornerstone of the EU social market economy. In times of transition, the significance of social dialogue grows, facilitating adjustments to digital and environmental shifts in economic activities and playing a vital role in enhancing work and living conditions. However, social dialogue has not always been sufficiently inclusive. This leads to an increasing dualization of the labour market between the better off (insiders) and the NSWs (outsiders). It is therefore urgent to find novel ways of including NSWs in social dialogue, to avoid leaving a growing segment of workers behind.
INTEGRATE-DIALOGUE ambitiously aims to pioneer a comprehensive approach by synergising the needs, interests and motivations of NSWs with the strategic capacities of social partners. This innovative endeavor will not only provide in-depth scientific analysis and policy recommendations to augment the inclusiveness of social dialogue at all levels (EU, national, regional and firm), but will also proactively address and propose enhancements to the existing legal framework. The aim is to create a more cohesive, effective, and legally robust environment for social dialogue, contributing a novel perspective to the EU’s efforts to strengthen social dialogue.
INTEGRATE-DIALOGUE combines a top-down approach, focusing on the role of social partners and unions in approaching and including NSWs in collective institutions and a the bottom-up perspective, i.e., NSWs’ needs and interests to be represented and have a voice. The project will specifically look into the following main issues: (i) the rationale for social dialogue; (ii) the importance of the institutional framework in facilitating social dialogue within different business models; (iii) the capacity and willingness of social partners to include NSWs; (iv) the subjective view of NSWs on social dialogue; and (v) alternative policies that lead to the strengthening of social dialogue.

The leaders of the work-packages met in Oslo in February.
First row from left: Sissel C. Trygstad, Fafo (head of project) | Lorraine Ryan, University of Limerick | Kristine Nergaard, Fafo | Trine Pernille Larsen, University of Warwick | Marianne Jenum Hotvedt, University of Oslo.
Second row from left: Emily Erickson, University of Warwick | Marta Kahancová, CELSI | Maarten Keune, University of Amsterdam | Roberto Pedersini, University of Milano.
Third row from left: Anne Mette Ødegård, Fafo | Anne Hatløy, Fafo | Kristin Alsos, Fafo.

Commissioned by the European Union
Full name of project: Integrating Diversity in Social Dialogue: Strengthening the EU’s Labour Market in the Digital and Green Age (INTEGRATE-DIALOGUE)
Funding: Horizon Europe Social Dialogue In The New World of Work (CL2-2024-TRANSFORMATIONS-01-05).
Project overview
Project overview
- 1: Conceptual and analytical framework
- 2: Legal framework: obstacles, facilitators and new strategies
- 3: Non-standard workers as peripheral workers in standard business models
- 4: Non-standard worker as the core
- 5: Novel models for voice and representation
- 6: Lessons for policy and practice
1: Conceptual and analytical framework
In general, the rationale for social dialogue is fairness and effectiveness.
In the first work-package we will elaborate elements of social dialogue and link them to different business models.
Moreover, find out how national and sectoral institutional frameworks are decisive for the inclusion of non-standard workers in social dialogue and the outcomes.
The work package is headed by Sissel C. Trygstad (Fafo) and Kristin Alsos (Fafo)
2: Legal framework: obstacles, facilitators and new strategies
The purpose of this work package is to identify legal obstacles that need to be addressed to for social dialogue to be realized for non-standard workers.
The analysis also aims to deepen understanding on how the interplay between EU and national frameworks of social dialogue is affected by national systems. This will provide a basis to suggest legal strategies to strengthen and broaden social dialogue on different levels and in different countries.
The work package is headed by Marianne J. Hotvedt, University of Oslo The work package is headed by Marianne J. Hotvedt, University of Oslo3: Non-standard workers as peripheral workers in standard business models
WP3 will cover NSWs in traditional business models, where standard and NSWs coexist. In this WP, we will include studies in Norway, Ireland, Italy and Belgium, to investigate potential variations connected to different employment and IR regimes.
In this work package, the situation for non-standard workers in traditional business models are under scrutiny. What are their needs and motivations for and experiences with social dialogue?
Women and migrants are overrepresented among non-standard workers, and it is important to identify issues that are of specific relevance for these groups. Additionally, the distributional costs of including non-standard workers, particularly in the trade unions, will be examined.
This will include studies in Norway, Ireland, Italy and Belgium.
The work package is headed by Lorraine Ryan, University of Limerick.
4: Non-standard worker as the core
Novel models for workers mobilisation might include various grass-root initiatives, online communities or different initiatives from unions, employers, NGOs or private companies. What are the conditions for social dialogue in business models that predominately have non-standard worker as a common strategy?
First, the interests and needs of non-standard workers will be identified, as a precondition for collective mobilistation and representation. Secondly, investigate strategies of different types of collective actors (like unions, associations and networks), and identify new initiatives and channels for representation of non-standard workers.
This workpackage is headed by Roberto Pedersini, University of Milano.
5: Novel models for voice and representation
Novel models for workers mobilisation might include various grass-root initiatives, online communities or different initiatives from unions, employers, NGOs or private companies.
These might have different degrees of institutionalisation and aims. This work package will explore examples of alternative and innovative forms of voice, representation and social dialogue among non-standard workers.
The work package is headed by Trine Larsen, University of Warwick
6: Lessons for policy and practice
Novel models for workers mobilisation might include various grass-root initiatives, online communities or different initiatives from unions, employers, NGOs or private companies.
This work package aims to develop new strategies for adjusting social dialogue structures to integrate the needs and interests of non-standard workers.
The work will be based on the knowledge produced in the former work packages.
As a result, it will be established an open policy toolbox with concrete instruments, taken into account the challenges surrounding gender, migration status, ethnicity, cross-border employment and workers with disabilities.
The work package is headed by Marta Kahancová, Central European Labour Studies Institute (CELSI).
Researchers and project partners
Researchers and project partners
- Sissel C. Trygstad
-
Kristin Alsos -
Kristin Jesnes -
Kristine Nergaard -
Sigurd M. Nordli Oppegaard -
Anne Mette Ødegård - Trine Pernille Larsen
- Lorraine Ryan
- Maarten Keune
- Marta Kahancová
- Roberto Pedersini
- Marianne Jenum Hotvedt
- Anna Ilsøe
- Valeria Pulignano
- Emanuele Menegatti
- Mijke Houwezijl
- Nicola Countouris
- Natalie Videbæk Munkholm

Sissel C. Trygstad

![]()
Kristin Alsos

![]()
Kristin Jesnes

![]()
Kristine Nergaard

![]()
Sigurd M. Nordli Oppegaard

![]()
Anne Mette Ødegård












Partners
Project details
Project details
- Project leader: Sissel C. Trygstad
- Commisioned by: Horizon Europe
- Start date: februar 2025
- End date: januar 2029
- Sustainable development goal: 8: Promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all
The role of the advisory board will be to critically review the work plan, the methods of each work and the major deliverables.
One of the aims is to develop links and sustained partnerships with other research groups.
- Prof. Jon Erik Dølvik, Fafo
- Dr. Karen Jaehrling, Head of Research Department, University of Duisenberg Essen
- Peter Kerckhofs, Research Manager, Eurofound
Salvo Leonardi, researcher at the Fondazione Giuseppe Di Vittorio (FDV) - Torsten Müller, senior researcher at ETUI
- Barbara Bechter, Associate Professor in Human Resource Management, Durham University Business School
- Aurora Trif, associate professor in employment relations, Dublin City University Business School.
To ensure relevance and validity, involving stakeholders at different stages of the project is essential. They will contribute feedback and reflect on findings.
The following have (so far) agreed to be stakeholders:
- European Trade Union Conference (ETUC)
- European Public Service Union (EPSU)
- The European Services Workers Union - UNI Europe
- European Arts & Entertainment Alliance (EAEA)
International Road Union - SGI Europe
- Norwegian Trade Union Confederation (LO)
- Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise (NHO)
- Norwegian Union of Municipal and General Employees (Fagforbundet)
- The United Federation of Trade Unions (Fellesforbundet), Norway
- Norwegian Union of General Workers (Arbeidsmandsforbundet)
- Norwegian Federation of Service Industries and Retail Trade (NHO Service og Handel)
- Trade union branch of Foodora, Norway,
- 3F union in Denmark
- Confederation of Danish Industry (Dansk Industri)
- Fondazione Giuseppe Di Vittorio, Italy,
- Acas – public body offering free advisory, conciliation and arbitration service for employers and workers in the UK.
Other stakeholders might be invited.