Relevance of this subject is caused by need to increase the role and value of the trade-union organizations for the mechanism of realization of social partnership between workers, employers and the state. The article analyses place and role of the Russian labor unions in the system of social partnership. The authors, proving an important role of labor unions in formation of civil society and improvement of the social and labor relations, reveal problems of trade-union organizations participation in social partnership and offers possible ways of their resolution. As a result of research the author comes to a conclusion that development of civil society, the prevention of the social labor conflicts, modernization of productive forces and relations of production depend on improvement of quality of interaction of the state, associations of employers and labor unions as subjects of social partnership. The real and effective social partnership gives the unique chance to establish constructive dialogue, interaction and consent between workers, employers and the state, not to allow growth of social tension in the Russian society.