How does trust shape the world of work across Europe? Next in our series: 🇷🇴 Romania

August 11, 2025

Romania’s industrial relations follow a decentralised model with weak enforcement and state intervention, rooted in a post-communist shift from centralisation to fragmentation.

Collective bargaining coverage dropped from 98% in 2008 to just 15% by 2021 (OECD & AIAS, 2021). The 2022 Social Dialogue Law aims to strengthen sectoral bargaining, but implementation remains difficult.

The study reveals that trust is weakest at national and sectoral levels, shaped by instability, poor regulation, and institutional disconnection.

Evidence shows trust is strongest locally, where actors know each other, share goals, and rely on personal relationships. The study underscores that trust in Romania is actor-driven, fragile, and highly dependent on context and communication.

Key challenges include the lack of a national culture of dialogue, weak vertical coordination, and low trust in state institutions.

Opportunities lie in strengthening institutional capacity, professionalising trade union leadership, and cultivating a culture of cooperation. Without systemic investment in trust-building, Romania’s industrial relations risk continued fragmentation.

📄 Want to learn more? Read the report, authored by Alina I. Popescu & Irina E. Ion from Academia de Studii Economice Bucuresti, Romania: https://celsi.sk/media/datasource/TRUE_Europe_Romania.pdf

#TrueEurope #Romania #SocialDialogue #IndustrialRelations #CollectiveBargaining #Trust