The European social partners - CES, Eurocadres, DGB, UATUC, UNI-Europa, UGT-PT, BusinessEurope, CEEP, SMEunited, BDA, CIP and CEEMET - insisted on the need to involve the social partners at all levels in the preparation and implementation of the future Recovery Plan for post-Covid-19 Europe on Tuesday 23 June, during the Tripartite Social Summit held by videoconference.
The social partners are concerned about certain attacks on social dialogue during the pandemic, in particular in Poland, where a new law allows the Prime Minister to unilaterally dismiss members of the Social Dialogue Council during the health crisis. In addition, the social partners have called on the EU institutions to ensure European social dialogue.
The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, sought to reassure them that they were "key players in the crisis". The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, also stressed the importance of a healthy social dialogue for a successful exit from the crisis.
The social partners also stressed the need for rapid agreement on the proposals establishing the multiannual financial framework 2021-2027 and the European Recovery Plan, in particular on measures to prevent corporate insolvency.
Autonomous agreement on digitisation. In addition, the social partners presented the autonomous agreement on digitisation which commits to implementation by the social partners at national level (see EUROPE 12511/20).
"But of course we know that the agreement is not enough because it tackles some elements of the digital work and the digital economy", said Luca Visentini, Confederal Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC). According to him, the European Commission will consider a legislative initiative to follow up this agreement.
"We expect the EU institutions to respect the autonomy of the European social partners, which means that they must refrain from legislative intervention in an area which is the subject of an agreement between the European social partners", said Markus J. Beyrer, Director General of BusinessEurope.
This initiative, which could be presented in the first half of 2021, would be on a European right to disconnect. Trade unions are in favour, while employers are more cautious, considering that the decision must be taken as close to the organisation as possible. The European Parliament is preparing a specific own-initiative report to be adopted in September (see EUROPE 12512/23). (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)