The Tripartite Social Summit on Wednesday 23 March focused on the Russian invasion of Ukraine and its socio-economic consequences, on the eve of a crucial European Council to consolidate the EU’s response to this new crisis.
“A united tripartite response will also be crucial to address the enormous social and economic impact of this war”, said European Council President Charles Michel. He added: “I am sure that the contribution of social partners, as was the case during Covid-19, will again be essential in facing this new challenge”. The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, agreed and called on social partners to show solidarity with Ukrainian refugees.
The discussions were structured around three main areas: - the sustainability of Europe’s long-term economic recovery and employment, while dealing with the impact on energy prices of Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine; - continuing to pursue the green transition in this context; - the role of social dialogue in improving working conditions, the functioning of the labour market and skills.
“Ukraine was of course at the forefront”, a source at the summit told us. Many speakers stressed the need for the EU to show unity and solidarity towards refugees. Luca Visentini, General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), stressed the importance of giving them access to the EU labour market, housing, health care, social assistance and easier access to education for their children.
The need to have a constructive dialogue on Ukraine’s accession to the European Union was mentioned, in particular by the ETUC, which called for this to also be done for Georgia and Moldova.
The president of BusinessEurope, Pierre Gattaz, stressed the importance of cushioning the surge in the cost of energy and raw material and of combating the multiple shortages affecting economic operators and disrupting supply chains.
He said the EU must “urgently” strengthen the internal energy market, diversify its energy sources and supply routes, and provide the right framework to increase the necessary public and private investment.
He also called for realism. He said the EU needs to recognise that a successful green transition also depends on realistic and time-bound energy policies. “The Commission’s upcoming social dialogue initiative is a golden opportunity to foster unity by improving cooperation between public authorities and social partners at EU and national levels”, he added. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)