Moldova
For several years, the Government of Moldova and social partners examined the best approach to improve the efficacy of the labour dispute resolution system, particularly regarding the time period required to dispose of cases. In 2024, the tripartite constituents highlighted a specific need to identify bottlenecks in the system as a preliminary step. Trade for Decent Work supported this need for reform of the labour dispute resolution system through an analysis of the efficacy of access to justice in the country.
Moldova has been a member of the ILO since 1992. The country has ratified ten fundamental conventions, four governance conventions and thirty technical conventions. The country has an Association Agreement with the European Union which was signed in June 2014 and has been in full effect since July 2016. Trade relations are determined by the free trade area established by the EU-Moldova Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) part of the Association Agreement. In 2025, an agreement was reached to review and update the trade terms of the existing agreement.
Improving the functioning of the labour dispute system aids to strengthen the application of international labour standards in Moldova through enhanced labour law compliance and labour inspection services. The analysis conducted by the project focused on the effectiveness of extra-judicial procedures along with an in-depth comparative examination of different legal and institutional approaches.
Objective
The project contributes to Sustainable Development Goal 8 on promoting inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment, and decent work for all, through improved labour relations and working conditions globally.
Achievements
- The project successfully reviewed the country’s labour dispute resolution system for resolving individual and collective disputes, with a focus on extra-judicial procedures. This facilitates informed decision making by the Government during the reform process.
- A knowledge gap concerning various aspects of labour dispute prevention and resolution was filled through a comparative analysis of policy, legal and institutional choices made in addition to global good practices, that have furthered access to labour justice for all.
Activities
The following is the project’s main priority in Moldova:
- Supporting the tripartite constituents in their efforts to improve labour law legislation, labour law compliance and enforcement.
Resources
There are no project interventions in this area yet.
Constituents effectively participate in national processes that address gaps between national law and practice and targeted conventions
Supporting the reform of the labour dispute resolution system
Strengthening labour dispute resolution
Access to labour justice has been a focus area for the Government of Moldova and the social partners. The project supported the reform of the labour dispute resolution system in the country through a review of the domestic system and a comparison of current trends to identify the pros and cons of different legal and institutional approaches.
Action
- Undertaking a study on effective access to labour justice for all in the Republic of Moldova to identify challenges and solutions
- Review of Moldova's system for resolving individual and collective disputes with a focus on extra judicial procedures and their effectiveness
Results
- Informed government decision making on reforms to the labour dispute resolution system