Just Transition

The need for a Just Transition Directive is more urgent than ever following the news that the EU is meeting its climate change targets because of rapid deindustrialisation rather than decarbonisation. The European Commission has announced that it is close to meeting its target of reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 55 per cent by 2030.

The ETUC has called on the Commission to expand the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund and make it into a pre-emptive tool to save jobs, as part of its initiatives set to be announced tomorrow.  The resources allocated to the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund are not sufficient to meet the threat of mass layoffs faced by working communities across Europe. Funding must be massively scaled up to meet the challenges the EU is facing in the turbulent geopolitical context. 

Brussels, 11 March 2025 To: Ministers of the Competitiveness Council Dear Ministers of the Competitiveness Council,

The Clean Industrial Deal must include measures to restore workers’ confidence in the green transition, trade union leaders stressed in a meeting with the European Commission today.

A demonstration of industrial workers worried about their futures taking place in Brussels this week shows the urgent need for the European Commission to bring forward a Just Transition Directive.

The ETUC is calling on the European Commission to make quality jobs a central objective to its competitiveness plan and warns against an approach based on low pay, long hours and bad conditions.  The Competitiveness Compass, which is set to be published next week, must have the protection and creation of quality jobs as a cardinal point. Trade unions expect it to lay the foundation to deliver a quality jobs package, including new legislation and investments, within the first half of this year. Social Europe is our competitive advantage

ETUC Statement: Call for a Moratorium on Forced Redundancies Adopted at the Executive Committee meeting of 10-11 December 2024  

Energy Union Regulation - Taking Decisive Action to Protect Industry, Households, and Create Quality Jobs  Adopted at the Executive Committee meeting of 15-16 October 2024  

Industrial policy for quality jobs  A Just Transition policy framework and Directive to anticipate and manage change  Adopted at the Executive Committee meeting of 24-25 June 2024   European climate measures are unfit for social transformation.

Brussels, 27 May 2024 To: Environment Ministers  To: Ministers of Employment and Social Affairs Dear Environment and Labour Ministers,

Dear Environment and Labour Ministers,In conjunction with the European Trade Union Confederation, we, the undersigned, serving as Presidents and General Secretaries of Trade Unions from Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), are compelled to underscore the importance of safeguarding just transition initiatives deliberated within the Environment Council Conclusions.

Brussels, 16 May 2024 To: Environment Ministers To: Ministers of Employment and Social Affairs For information: Permanent Representatives to the European Union Dear Environment and Labour Ministers,

Brussels, 15 May 2024 To: Permanent Representatives to the European Union Dear Permanent Representatives,  I am writing to you as Confederal Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation to call on you to support the maintenance and inclusion of ambitious just transition elements in the ongoing Working Party on the Environment discussions taking place on May 21st. 

A dedicated just transition directive is needed to ensure the 2040 climate target announced by the European Commission can be met without further social unrest. Over the next 16 years, the Commission wants to achieve a 90% net reduction in reduce greenhouse gas emissions compared to 1990 levels. Trade unions support climate action – but already agreed climate legislation fails to convince people in affected sectors and regions because the European Green Deal doesn’t yet take into account the social and labour impacts of the transition. Too narrow

Dear President, Dear Vice-Presidents, In light of your forthcoming debate on competitiveness within the College, the ETUC and IndustriAll Europe would like to reiterate its suggestions to improve the Green Deal Industrial Plan.

The future of EU Funds for Cohesion and a Just Transition: with or without workers? TRADE UNION GUIDE TO COHESION POLICY FUNDS 2021-2027 The Trade Union Guide to Effective Use of Available Funds for Cohesion Policy is meant to provide well formulated and clear guidance for national, regional and sectorial trade unions on Cohesion funds, ultimately contributing towards improving the orientation, programming, implementation and evaluation of these funds thanks to a more effective trade union involvement in all phases.

The European Commission yesterday presented a Communication on A Green Deal Industrial Plan for the Net-Zero Age but has written a blank cheque by failing to put social conditions on billions of Euros worth of subsidies for European businesses. The European Commission announced yesterday details of its Green Deal Industrial Plan, which would see around 250 billion in EU funds, and billions more in national state aid to support clean tech companies.  

Over 145,000 people are employed in Romania’s textile, clothing, leather and footwear sectors. European social partners and policymakers have been meeting in Bucharest to discuss how to adapt the industry to a digital and sustainable future. The TCLF sectors are significant for Romania’s economy, employing 14% of workers in the manufacturing sector. The country is a major exporter, mainly to the EU, so future EU legislation aimed at ensuring only sustainable TCLF products reach the European market from 2030 will have a major impact.

The social partners in Sweden have concluded two ground-breaking national deals to promote education and training and develop new skills in the workforce, with financial support from the government.

Positioning the ETUC for an EU open strategic autonomy with a strong social agenda Adopted at the Executive Committee meeting of 22 and 23 June 2022 Summary of key messages

European trade unions and employers will tomorrow sign a work programme, including to negotiate a legally binding agreement on ‘Telework and right to disconnect’.   ETUC, BusinessEurope, SGI Europe and SMEunited will sign the Work Programme in the presence of European Commission Executive Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis in a ceremony at 15.30-45 on Tuesday 28 June at 5 Boulevard du Roi Albert II, 1210 Brussels.   The Work Programme 2022-24 consists of 6 joint actions:  

This is a call for a subcontractor to provide expertise as part of the implementation of the ETUC project on “The future of EU Funds for Cohesion and a Just Transition: with or without workers?”. Deadline for submission of bids is 13 June 2022.

The European Social Partners have succesfully carried out a project on the impact of the shift to circular economy on the world of work. The objective of the project was to analyse the impact of the transition to the circular economy on employment, changing jobs and tasks, training needs and skills, working conditions (such as organisation of work and health and safety aspects) and competitiveness. Find here the results of the project.

A new, German ‘Alliance of Opportunities’ involving Mining, Chemical and Energy Industrial Union IG BCE and some 26 companies employing 1 million workers aims to reskill staff to meet the challenges of digitalisation, climate change and demographic developments.

The European Commission has published a disappointingly vague Annual Strategic Foresight Report that fails to clearly put people at the heart of its long-term thinking. While the report addresses general mega trends, it misses the crucial and human fact of the need for social progress and justice, and jobs. This is vital for managing the climate and technological changes ahead in a just and inclusive way.   The report only mentions closer participation with unions and employers in relation to training and needs to go well beyond that.