Today, industriAll Europe launches its Call to Action, urging policymakers to adopt a strong policy framework that puts good industrial jobs at the forefront of industrial transformation.
Europe's industry and workers are struggling in the face of multiple crises: the lingering effects of the pandemic, supply chain disruptions, geopolitical tensions and an energy and cost of living crisis. The rise of the Far Right is deeply worrying.
Workers are worried about their jobs, pay and working conditions, and are seeing their share of economic gains diminish as profits rise. The forces of digitalisation, decarbonisation and global economic tensions pose major challenges. While tackling climate change is imperative, workers need more support to manage the massive changes and adapt to new jobs.
Against this backdrop, industriAll Europe calls for a proactive European industrial plan based on investment, solidarity, the creation of quality jobs and innovation - in line with our climate commitments.
We put forward eight key solutions to turn this vision into reality:
- Respect of workers' and trade union rights
- Good Jobs Compass: Guiding policies with a focus on promoting good industrial jobs (that are well-paid, secure and sustainable).
- Training for Employment Security
- Industrial Investment Agenda: Implementing a real industrial investment agenda for all regions, avoiding blank cheques.
- Right to Energy: Guaranteeing the right to energy for all, both at home and in the workplace.
- International Level Playing Field: Establishing fair competition globally based on good jobs along the entire supply chain.
- Policy Coherence: Ensuring policy coherence for decarbonisation and circular economy without sacrificing industrial strength.
- Nothing about us, without us! Involving workers in decision-making processes.
Launching the campaign, Joint Acting General Secretaries Judith Kirton-Darling and Isabelle Barthès reiterated:
"Political leaders must respond to the workforce’s legitimate concerns about deindustrialisation, profiteering and economic insecurity urgently. We are at a pivotal moment. It is now that European leaders must step up and adopt a forward-looking industrial investment plan that promotes a resilient, fair and sustainable future for European industry and our jobs. Failure to do so will not only undermine our industrial fabric – it will undermine European cohesion with disastrous potential.
“We will not stand idly by as we head to the edge of the cliff. Rather we stand ready to work together with policymakers and employers willing to shape a future where good industrial jobs are the guiding compass for the transformative policies we all depend on.”