Social policy
The event was attended by representatives of the Institute of Public Affairs: Dominik Owczarek, Director of the Social Policy Programme, and analyst Maciej Pańków. The conference was chaired by Grzegorz Bor, Vice-President of the Federation of Metalworkers' and Steelworkers' Trade Unions. Participants included trade union representatives from Spain, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, and Ukraine, as well as employer representatives: Professor Grażyna Spytek-Bandurska from the Federation of Polish Entrepreneurs and Hilde Thys from the European employers’ federation Ceemet – European Tech & Industry Employers.
The conference offered an opportunity to reflect on the project’s achievements, particularly the mentoring sessions held in four countries. During these sessions, experienced experts and practitioners from European Works Councils shared their knowledge with less experienced employee representatives interested in the workings of these bodies of transnational social dialogue.
A second key and highly innovative outcome of the project was the development of a chatbot based on generative artificial intelligence. Its content was specifically created by analysts at the Institute of Public Affairs in cooperation with Romuald Jagodziński, a recognised expert in European Works Council matters. Conference participants were introduced to both project deliverables and provided feedback, including suggestions for further improvement.
The meeting also served as a forum for discussing progress made by European social partners in revising Directive 2009/38/EC on European Works Councils. This legislative process has recently accelerated, and coincidentally, on the first day of the conference, participants learned via social media that an agreement had been reached by the social partners. Although the details are not yet known, this development prompted a lively discussion on the desired shape of the new directive and the broader direction of the EU’s economic policies.
The debate revealed notable differences between the positions of trade unions and employers’ organisations—differences that in some cases stemmed from geographical perspectives. Nevertheless, the discussion unfolded in an atmosphere of mutual respect and openness to diverse viewpoints. This constructive exchange was widely recognised by participants as a major added value of the conference, underscoring the importance of such meetings in fostering dialogue and understanding among social partners.
