This site uses cookies. Some of these cookies are essential to the operation of the site, while others help to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used. For more information, please see the ProZ.com privacy policy.
Cookie settings
  1. KudoZ™ Top
  2. Spanish to English
  3. Business/Commerce (general)

Agente social

English translation: the recognised trade unions and employers' organisations // (EU) social partners

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Spanish term or phrase:agente social
English translation:the recognised trade unions and employers' organisations // (EU) social partners
Entered by: Charles Davis

16:16 Oct 1, 2017
Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Law/Patents - Business/Commerce (general) / Transparency policies
Spanish term or phrase: Agente social
Is there a term in English for "Agente social" please?
I have read that it may be related to trade unions but
I have never found the term "social agent" in English.

This is the context: Mantener una comunicación fluida con las administraciones públicas, titulares, agentes sociales y público en general que permita conocer y comprender las decisiones del organismo y sus fundamentos, suministrando en el momento oportuno información relevante, válida y verificable, haciendo uso de las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación.

Thank you for your help
Eileen Brophy
Spain
Local time: 18:57
recognised representative organisation
Explanation:
Following on from my discussion comment. I am pretty sure the term is being used in this sense, which is standard in Spanish administrative language. Official government definitions first:

"Agentes sociales
1. Los sindicatos de trabajadores y las asociaciones empresariales contribuyen a la defensa y promoción de los intereses económicos y sociales que les son propios. Su creación y el ejercicio de su actividad son libres dentro del respeto a la Constitución y a la ley. Su estructura interna y funcionamiento deberán ser democráticos.
2. El agente social es una parte organizada de la sociedad que, no siendo administración pública, tiene también objetivos de intervención en la sociedad.
3. Los Agentes Sociales son: CEOE; CEPYME; CC.OO y UGT."
https://sede.sepe.gob.es/glosario/descripcion.do?id=53

(CEOE is the employers' association, CEPYME is the SME association and CC.OO and UGT are of course the two biggest trade unions.)

"Agentes Sociales
Organizaciones Empresariales:
CEOE:
http://www.ceoe.es
CEPYME:
http://www.cepyme.es
Organizaciones Sindicales:
UGT:
http://www.ugt.es
CIG:
http://www.galizacig.com/avantar
ELA:
http://www.ela-sindikatua.org
CC.OO.:
http://www.ccoo.es
USO:
http://www.uso.es
Órganos Consultivos:
Consejo Económico y Social:
http://www.ces.es "
http://www.empleo.gob.es/es/enlaces/enlace-agentes-sociales....

This confirms that agentes sociales means business organisations and unions, and here they also incloude the CES, an advisory body ("The Spanish Economic and Social Council, made up of employees' organizations, trade unions and other representatives of public interests, is a government advisory body", according to its website.)

Well, it's not that easy to find an English term that will be understood to mean just these organisations. Trade unions alone wouldn't be right, in principle. "Representative organisation" is a term used for this:

"There has to be a sound industrial relations environment, with effective law enforcement and mechanisms for resolving disputes. Trade unions need to be legitimate, independent and representative of workers, including marginalized workers such as youth and informal workers. ILO Convention No. 144 sets forth the meaning of
"representative organizations" of employers and workers (ILO, 1976)."
http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_emp/---emp_pol...

I think this is the closest I can get.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2017-10-01 17:44:19 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Or perhaps it might be better just to call a spade a spade and put "the recognised trade unions and employers' organisations". That, and only that, is what it actually means. Social agents, social actors, social players, stakeholders are all much broader terms than this (as well as being sociological jargon, whereas this is administrative jargon), and I don't think anyone will understand them to refer to this.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2017-10-01 17:46:41 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

After all, even "representative organisation" could be understood as referring to a wider range of entities than this.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2017-10-01 18:04:49 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Hi Eileen. I can't edit the answer box; I'd have to post another answer. I could do that if you'd prefer. But there's no need really; either you or I can simply put the amended answer as the glossary entry.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 days3 hrs (2017-10-03 19:59:05 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------

Thanks, Eileen. I've added "social partners" to the glossary entry as well; I think it could be useful to people to have this listedl.
Selected response from:

Charles Davis
Spain
Local time: 18:57
Grading comment
I have changed it according to your comments Charles, thank you very much for your help
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +3social player/stakeholder
AllegroTrans
4recognised representative organisation
Charles Davis
3 -1civic organisations
patinba


Discussion entries: 2





  

Answers


18 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): -1
agentes sociales
civic organisations


Explanation:
In your context, I think this sounds more natural in English.

patinba
Argentina
Local time: 13:57
Meets criteria
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 648
Notes to answerer
Asker: Not trade unions then, no, Patinba? Thanks for your time and help.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  Albion Land: My experience is that it is the trade unions and the employers' organisations
35 mins
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

21 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +3
social player/stakeholder


Explanation:
agentes sociales noun, plural, masculine/feminine
social agents pl
less common: social actors pl
·
social players pl
·
social stakeholders pl
·
social workers pl
·
social operators pl
See also:
agentes pl —agents pl


External sources (not reviewed)
Entre las posibles medidas cabría citar la conclusión de
acuerdos entre los agentes sociales y la aprobación de códigos de conducta para prevenir la discriminación.
eur-lex.europa.eu

Possible measures could include the conclusion of
agreements between social partners and the adoption of codes of conduct aimed at preventing discrimination.
eur-lex.europa.eu
La Comisión pide a los agentes sociales que aceleren la consecución de resultados en este ámbito.
europarl.europa.eu

The Commission calls on the social partners to speed up the delivery of results in this area.
europarl.europa.eu

AllegroTrans
United Kingdom
Local time: 17:57
Does not meet criteria
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 174

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Albion Land: I would be more inclined to go with social actors. My experience with it in Spain is that it tends to refer to employers' organisations and the labour unions. http://www.rtve.es/noticias/20150512/agentes-sociales-llegan...
29 mins
  -> Thank you
agree  Alex Ossa: And agree with Albion Land's suggestion of social actors
33 mins
  -> Thank you
neutral  Charles Davis: Social actors and stakeholders are much wider terms than this. It means what Albion Land says, and many social actors/stakeholders don't fall into that quite narrow category. Social actors can be individuals and a stakeholder can be any interested party.
49 mins
  -> OK but I see no essential difference between players and actors
agree  philgoddard: I agree with "social partners", a widely used EU term meaning employer and employee representative bodies, as Charles suggests. Your other suggestions don't sound very English, and "social workers" is just plain wrong.
7 hrs
  -> Thanks but they were not my suggestions, I filtered them!
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
recognised representative organisation


Explanation:
Following on from my discussion comment. I am pretty sure the term is being used in this sense, which is standard in Spanish administrative language. Official government definitions first:

"Agentes sociales
1. Los sindicatos de trabajadores y las asociaciones empresariales contribuyen a la defensa y promoción de los intereses económicos y sociales que les son propios. Su creación y el ejercicio de su actividad son libres dentro del respeto a la Constitución y a la ley. Su estructura interna y funcionamiento deberán ser democráticos.
2. El agente social es una parte organizada de la sociedad que, no siendo administración pública, tiene también objetivos de intervención en la sociedad.
3. Los Agentes Sociales son: CEOE; CEPYME; CC.OO y UGT."
https://sede.sepe.gob.es/glosario/descripcion.do?id=53

(CEOE is the employers' association, CEPYME is the SME association and CC.OO and UGT are of course the two biggest trade unions.)

"Agentes Sociales
Organizaciones Empresariales:
CEOE:
http://www.ceoe.es
CEPYME:
http://www.cepyme.es
Organizaciones Sindicales:
UGT:
http://www.ugt.es
CIG:
http://www.galizacig.com/avantar
ELA:
http://www.ela-sindikatua.org
CC.OO.:
http://www.ccoo.es
USO:
http://www.uso.es
Órganos Consultivos:
Consejo Económico y Social:
http://www.ces.es "
http://www.empleo.gob.es/es/enlaces/enlace-agentes-sociales....

This confirms that agentes sociales means business organisations and unions, and here they also incloude the CES, an advisory body ("The Spanish Economic and Social Council, made up of employees' organizations, trade unions and other representatives of public interests, is a government advisory body", according to its website.)

Well, it's not that easy to find an English term that will be understood to mean just these organisations. Trade unions alone wouldn't be right, in principle. "Representative organisation" is a term used for this:

"There has to be a sound industrial relations environment, with effective law enforcement and mechanisms for resolving disputes. Trade unions need to be legitimate, independent and representative of workers, including marginalized workers such as youth and informal workers. ILO Convention No. 144 sets forth the meaning of
"representative organizations" of employers and workers (ILO, 1976)."
http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_emp/---emp_pol...

I think this is the closest I can get.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2017-10-01 17:44:19 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Or perhaps it might be better just to call a spade a spade and put "the recognised trade unions and employers' organisations". That, and only that, is what it actually means. Social agents, social actors, social players, stakeholders are all much broader terms than this (as well as being sociological jargon, whereas this is administrative jargon), and I don't think anyone will understand them to refer to this.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2017-10-01 17:46:41 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

After all, even "representative organisation" could be understood as referring to a wider range of entities than this.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2017-10-01 18:04:49 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Hi Eileen. I can't edit the answer box; I'd have to post another answer. I could do that if you'd prefer. But there's no need really; either you or I can simply put the amended answer as the glossary entry.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 days3 hrs (2017-10-03 19:59:05 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------

Thanks, Eileen. I've added "social partners" to the glossary entry as well; I think it could be useful to people to have this listedl.

Charles Davis
Spain
Local time: 18:57
Does not meet criteria
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 304
Grading comment
I have changed it according to your comments Charles, thank you very much for your help
Notes to answerer
Asker: Then I shall call a spade a spade Charles, thank you VERY, VERY Much for your time and help.

Asker: Maybe you should edit your answer then too?

Asker: OK Charles, no problem, it is up to you, you are right we can put the amended answer in as a glossary entry.

Asker: OK Charles, whatever helps others translate the term. Thanks


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  philgoddard: Yes, this is the meaning, but I think Allegro had it first with "social partners". https://www.eurofound.europa.eu/observatories/eurwork/indust...
6 hrs
  -> Interesting. But by no stretch was that Allegro's answer. It wasn't even among the six terms (no less) posted at the start of his explanation. It happens to be mentioned in an "unreviewed" reference he posted later on.
neutral  AllegroTrans: Yes, but as an explanation
16 hrs
  -> I'm proposing it as a translation. I didn't know "social partners" meant this in Eurospeak, but in any case I suspect a lot of readers won't understand it; I don't think I would have done. If it were at all familiar, one of us would have thought of it.
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

Return to KudoZ list

KudoZ™ translation help

The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.

See also:
ProZ.com term search
Search millions of term translations
Close search
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search