‘Beyond the clash?’: Union–management partnership through social dialogue on sustainable HRM. Lessons from Belgium

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to explore the concept of intended versus real partnerships between unions and management in relation to social dialogue on sustainable HRM within a historically grown institutional context of dominant conflict thinking in Belgium. In-depth qualitative data was retrieved from unions and managers within leading companies in the Belgian chemistry and the life sciences sector. The central goal was to examine how sustainable HR issues can strengthen the partnership relationship between unions and management and what kind of paradoxical tensions they face in this regard. The data supports the idea of a hybrid, (neo)pluralistic approach, within which any polarizing ‘we are against them’ mindset cannot be fully ruled out and may even be fruitful in achieving win-win solutions.