The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), BusinessEurope, SMEunited and the European Centre of Employers and Enterprises providing Public Services (CEEP) adopted, on Wednesday 6 February, their work programme for the next three years, the main tenet of which is to strengthen the role of the social partners.
This work programme is structured around six pillars: digitisation, improving the performance of labour markets and social systems, skills, addressing psycho-social aspects and risks at work, capacity-building for a stronger social dialogue and finally, the circular economy.
The social partners therefore intend to organise a seminar on the subject and negotiate an autonomous European framework agreement. In respect of improving labour markets and social systems, they intend to set up a working group in connection with the European Semester and the Social Scoreboard. In 2019, the group will focus on young people who are not working, and who are not in education and training (NEET) and on the role of the social partners, and in 2020 the focus will be on demographic challenges and childcare.
Similarly, in respect of skills and risks at work, the social partners undertake to hold a joint seminar. On the second point, they also intend to reach common conclusions and identify common actions.
As for strengthening the social dialogue, the social partners intend to continue the sub-committee that was created in 2015. Finally, the work programme includes a joint project to analyse how the circular economy can influence employment.
To consult the full programme: https://bit.ly/2TaMpXE. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)