While revealing new challenges for public services, the Covid-19 pandemic has also cast renewed light onthe state of social dialogue and labour relations practices in many countries. But the rationale for this studyalso has an earlier genesis: following an ILO Governing Body decision, a Global Dialogue forum was convenedin 2014 to address the impact of the financial crisis and other challenges confronting labour relationsin the public services. It identified the need for further research to “enable improved responses to situationsof crisis and to address obstacles in the ratification of Conventions Nos 151 and 154”.