ETUC on Commission Work Programme 2022

 

EUROPEAN COMMISSION WORK PROGRAMME 2022

Potentially positive initiatives include

 

Missing include

Seriously bad gimmick includes

Protection of Workers from risks of exposure to asbestos at work

European Green Deal (on zero pollution, right to repair and plastics)

Media Freedom Act

Care Strategy

Recommendation on Minimum Income

 

Framework for Just Transition (for a socially just transition to a carbon-neutral econonmy)

European Social Security Pass

Human Rights Due Diligence*

Improving working conditions of platform workers*

Communication on Social Dialogue**  

One in one out – to be “fully deployed”

 

Luca Visentini  ETUC General Secretary commented “After an initial burst of activity around social rights by the von der Leyen Commission, and very necessary action to save jobs and invest in recovery in response to the pandemic, social justice now seems to be slipping off the agenda.

“The Green Deal flagship project is not doing enough to ensure people and communities are not left behind, and new social rights are notable by their absence in next year’s work programme.

“The Commission is sitting on a ticking time bomb and needs to do more to tackle wage and wealth inequality and improve living standards for working people.”

“The European Commission has promised initiatives on platform work, due diligence and social dialogue, but they do not appear in the all-important table of new and on-going initiatives for the 2022 work programme. ETUC will do all it can to make sure these are brought forward as promised.

“ETUC fully opposes the full deployment of the so-called one-in-one-out approach, it is an unworkable populist gimmick that should be dropped immediately.”

Note:  Directives on Human Rights Due Diligence and Improving working conditions of platform workers are items on the agenda of this year’s College meetings.  But they are not mentioned at all in the Work Programme (perhaps because they are due to be published later this year). A communication on social dialogue is mentioned in the Work Programme but NOT in the all-important table of new initiatives.