The decarbonisation of energy is an unprecedented task with far-reaching consequences for workers and the labour market. How does its implementation differ from one EU country to another? To what extent can we speak of a just transition? Experts, trade unionists and representatives of the European Commission discussed the results of the research in eight Member States and the challenges for Europe and the world of work at the final conference of the Rejeneraxion project in Brussels.
At the conference held last week in Brussels, the leader of the Rejeneraxion project: the di Vittorio Foundation (FdV) summarised the results of research on a fair energy transition. carried out in old and new EU countries (research in Poland was conducted by the Institute of Public Affairs).
In his opening speech, FdV President Francesco Sinopoli expressed his belief that without appropriate instruments to cushion the effects of the changes being implemented, without access to decent jobs, we may face a crisis threatening the future of the European Union, much more serious than the one we are currently experiencing. Serena Rugiero, FdV, highlighted the importance of energy for the competitiveness of the European economy and political stability and discussed the impact of the energy transition on employment and working conditions, drawing attention to the temporal and geographical gap between jobs created and jobs lost. Simona Bormioli, FdV, presented the results of a comparative analysis covering Belgium, France, Spain, Germany, Poland, Slovakia, Italy and Hungary. The criteria used included the quality of leadership and management of the transition process and the coherence of national and regional policies, as well as the quality of collective labour relations and the attitude of trade unions towards the transition (proactive, reactive, oppositional).
A summary of the research findings is available
HERE. The panellists invited to the conference then spoke in turn about the impact of the energy transition on employment, quality of work and demand for skills, and the regional and territorial effects of the transition.
In the first panel, Bela Galgoczi from the ETUI pointed out that the transition is much more than just a switch to green fuels, as it changes the competitive environment completely, posing new challenges for companies, posed by the investment gap on the one hand and the fiscal trap on the other. At the same time, green jobs are not automatically equivalent to jobs in industries that generate significant greenhouse gas emissions. Jonas Fluchtmann from the OECD cited data showing that the transition from carbon-intensive to green jobs is associated with lower wages, which is most often due to the fact that green jobs are not covered by collective agreements common in carbon-intensive industries. Frank Siebern-Thomas from the DG Employment gave an overview of the EC's actions on green transition. The EC is currently preparing a Clean Industry Deal and also plans to launch a European Fair Transition Observatory, on whose advisory board the social partners will have a place . Corinna Zierold of IndustriALL Europe, representing the trade union side, highlighted the need to involve workers in the development of industrial policy frameworks, as well as the need to base the Just Transition on an appropriate directive, and to introduce social conditioning in public spending.
In the second panel, referring to the territorial impact of transformation, Salvatore Marra of CGIL pointed out that transformation must be a process consciously managed and carried out with the participation of social partners, in which collective bargaining and monitoring of the effects of transformation should play an important role. Myriam Boveda from the DG Regio summarised the activities in the regions related to the implementation of a just transition and presented the tools supporting them at European level. Tuscany Bell from EPSU drew attention to the need for public services to be adequately staffed and funded, and called for social dialogue to be recognised as a prerequisite in the planning process. For her part, Isabella Brachet, representing the Climate Action Network, emphasised the importance of anticipating the effects of the transition, its impacts on different groups of workers, as well as the role of the legal framework in achieving its goals and ensuring adequate social protection.
The event concluded with a plenary discussion moderated by Małgorzata Koziarek from the Institute of Public Affairs. In the discussion, representatives of trade unions from the national level, among others, took the floor. In his closing remarks, Marco Falcinelli of Filctem CGIL stressed the need for a clear direction in Europe that responds to the problems of transition and also takes into account the needs of workers indirectly affected by its effects.
The project research reports are available
HERE The event was held as part of the
project “Rejeneraxion” co-funded by the European Union
