Summary

This paper examines the political economy of pension reforms in times of economic crisis and its impact on social dialogue and tripartite institutions. It analyses the process of pension reform and the role of social dialogue in ten countries, namely: China, France, Greece, Jordan, the Netherlands, Mauritius, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Uruguay. It also refers to other relevant country experiences, including those of Australia, Denmark, Finland, the United Kingdom and the United States. The authors examine the economic and political situation during the pre-crisis period and the subsequent measures, notably fiscal consolidation and explicit pension reforms, implemented in response to the crisis.

This study argues that where pension reform processes have been hasty and proper consultations with the social partners and other stakeholders have been deficient, significant questions arise as to the sustainability of the reforms.