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 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:  

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.  

Commenting on the overall conclusions of the informal meeting of the Heads of State /Government, in which they   Commit to reduce inequalities, defend fair wages and fight poverty and discrimination Commit to achieve new EU targets to increase employment and training and reduce poverty Recognise that the European Pillar of Social Rights is a fundamental element of recovery Luca Visentini, ETUC General Secretary, said

ETUC resolution on “Fit for 55” package Adopted at the virtual Executive Committee meeting of 22-23 March 2021 Summary of key messages

The European Commission published today its new Adaptation Strategy designed to increase the resilience of the EU against climate change consequences.   While the European Trade Union Confederation strongly welcomes the idea of developing a new EU Adaptation Strategy, we regret to see that the one proposed by the Commission today fails to protect European workers against climate change consequences.

A new EU adaptation to climate change strategy for the world of work ETUC Resolution adopted at the Executive Committee Meeting of 28-29 October 2020 Summary of key messages

The European Commission’s Work Programme 2021 contains some positive commitments, some surprising omissions and at least one absurd proposal according to a first assessment by the ETUC. On the positive side are commitments to

Brussels, 6 July 2020 ETUC position on the New Industrial Strategy for Europe Adopted at the ETUC Executive Committee of 2 July 2020 Summary of key messages

Brussels 11 June 2020 ETUC resolution on European Green Deal initiatives: Climate Law, EU Sustainable Investment Plan, Just Transition Fund Regulation and new EU Industrial Strategy Adopted at the ETUC Executive Committee of 9 June 2020 Summary of key messages

Brussels 30 October 2019 ETUC position for an inclusive European Green Deal Adopted at the ETUC Executive Committee of 23 October 2019