Dear colleagues, My name is Luca Visentini and I speak here on behalf of trade unions from all over Europe. The citizens’ panel have discussed and pushed forward an impressive and very ambitious set of proposals and demands, which together with the inputs posted in the online platform will enable us to make the future of Europe better and more inclusive. I would like to mention just two of these ideas.

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.  

Minister, Vice President, Commissioner, Ministers, colleagues of social partners and social platform, Managing the COVID Emergency was essential to protect jobs and businesses and make our labor market resilient. Now that we are getting out of the pandemic, we need to bridge the gap before recovery starts, in order to avoid an explosion of unemployment. Emergency measures to protect jobs, wages and working conditions, and to strengthen social protection systems must be continued for all the time necessary.

A Social Compact for Europe ETUC resolution adopted by the Executive Committee at its meeting on 5-6 June 2012 __________________________________________________________________________________ Gathered within the European Trade Union Confederation, we, trade union leaders of Europe, want to launch an appeal and propose a Social Compact for Europe.