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industriAll European Trade Union

industriAll Europe

IndustriAll European Trade Union represents workers across manufacturing sectors including metals, chemicals, energy, textiles, and automotive industries.

Lobbying Activity

Meeting with Tiemo Wölken (Member of the European Parliament) and Transport and Environment (European Federation for Transport and Environment) and

10 Dec 2025 · S&D Stakeholder Exchange on the automotive package

Meeting with Mohammed Chahim (Member of the European Parliament) and Transport and Environment (European Federation for Transport and Environment) and

10 Dec 2025 · Informal stakeholder roundtable meeting on the automotive package

Trade union calls for comprehensive semiconductor industrial strategy

25 Nov 2025
Topic — EU revision of Chips Act to strengthen semiconductor manufacturing and supply chains.
Message — IndustriAll Europe requests a holistic industrial strategy covering the entire semiconductor value chain, from materials to production. They demand social conditionalities for public aid recipients, including workforce stability requirements and profit-sharing mechanisms. The union emphasizes prioritizing both cutting-edge and mature chip technologies based on European industry needs rather than solely nanometre specifications.123
Why — This would protect manufacturing jobs and ensure skilled workforce development in Europe's semiconductor sector.456
Impact — Foreign semiconductor manufacturers lose unrestricted access to EU public funding without social obligations.78
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Meeting with Charlotte Merlier (Cabinet of Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič) and Bureau Européen des Unions de Consommateurs and

18 Nov 2025 · Ultra-fast fashion

Meeting with Nora Mebarek (Member of the European Parliament, Shadow rapporteur) and EUROPEAN TRADE UNION CONFEDERATION

5 Nov 2025 · Révision de la directive sur les agents cancérigènes, mutagènes et reprotoxiques

Meeting with Mark Nicklas (Head of Unit Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs) and Transport and Environment (European Federation for Transport and Environment) and

21 Oct 2025 · Meeting on small affordable cars initiative and possible Made in Europe requirements

Meeting with Arthur Corbin (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Stéphane Séjourné) and Transport and Environment (European Federation for Transport and Environment) and

20 Oct 2025 · Meeting on small affordable cars initiative and possible Made in Europe requirements

Meeting with Jeroen Jutte (Director Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion)

17 Oct 2025 · Discuss the current labour market challenges faced by IndustriALL members and how these challenges can be reflected in the broader context of the European Semester

Meeting with Terry Reintke (Member of the European Parliament) and EUROPEAN TRADE UNION CONFEDERATION

14 Oct 2025 · EU Social and Economic Policies

European Trade Union Demands Social Conditions for State Aid

6 Oct 2025
Topic — EU revision of rules exempting certain state aid from prior approval.
Message — The union requests mandatory social conditionalities for all state aid, including respect for collective bargaining, job creation guarantees, worker participation rights, and limits on subcontracting. Aid should be conditioned on investment and quality jobs creation in Europe, with profit-sharing and clawback mechanisms.123
Why — This would give workers stronger protections and job security during industrial transitions.45
Impact — Companies receiving aid would face stricter compliance requirements and reduced flexibility in employment decisions.67
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Meeting with Pascal Arimont (Member of the European Parliament)

26 Sept 2025 · European Worker's Councils

Meeting with Giulia Del Brenna (Head of Unit Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs)

23 Sept 2025 · Textiles ecosystem

Meeting with Dan Jørgensen (Commissioner) and

19 Sept 2025 · Energy prices

Meeting with Joan Canton (Head of Unit Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs)

10 Sept 2025 · Situation of workers in the steel sector

IndustriAll Europe demands social safeguards for clean vehicle fleets

8 Sept 2025
Topic — EU proposal to set minimum requirements for zero-emission vehicles in corporate fleets.
Message — The union supports mandates if they include European content requirements. They insist on social conditionalities to protect job quality and collective bargaining.12
Why — These measures would preserve European automotive jobs and maintain industrial competitiveness.3
Impact — Public infrastructure and social safety nets might lose funding from tax incentives.4
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Meeting with Peter Van Kemseke (Cabinet of President Ursula von der Leyen)

2 Sept 2025 · TO FOLLOW

Meeting with Peter Van Kemseke (Cabinet of President Ursula von der Leyen)

2 Sept 2025 · Preparation of the Strategic Dialogue meeting on 12 September

Meeting with Terry Reintke (Member of the European Parliament)

1 Sept 2025 · Automotive Industry, Green Transformation

IndustriAll backs CBAM extension to prevent industrial offshoring

26 Aug 2025
Topic — The consultation explores extending carbon border taxes to downstream finished industrial goods.
Message — The union supports extending the carbon tax to downstream products to prevent offshoring. They advocate including indirect emissions and using revenues to fund a monitoring system.123
Why — The measure secures European manufacturing jobs by preventing companies from moving production abroad.4
Impact — Trade partners in neighboring countries face economic disruption and risks to their workers.5
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Response to Gender Equality Strategy 2026-2030

9 Aug 2025

Persistent gender pay and employment gaps remain significant challenges. Women continue to be overrepresented in lower-paid, insecure forms of work, such as part-time jobs, fixed-term contracts, and precarious employment. This exposes them to discrimination, particularly in relation to pregnancy and parental leave. Care responsibilities remain unevenly distributed between genders, and existing policies do not sufficiently support work-life balance for both women and men, adversely affecting well-being and equal opportunities. Occupational health and safety frameworks often fail to address gender-specific needs, including adequate work clothing and equipment, workplace violence, psychosocial risks, and gender-specific health concerns. Eliminating gender-based violence and harassment in the world of work must also be a priority. IndustriAll Europes priorities for the next Gender Equality Strategy: ensuring equal pay and economic empowerment, promoting equal employment opportunities and adequate working conditions, and advancing work-life balance and care. Key measures should include: Supporting Member States to fully and ambitiously transpose the Pay Transparency Directive and tackling the feminisation of poverty, including in-work poverty. Eliminating the gender employment gap by addressing involuntary part-time, fixed-term and precarious employment and strengthening equal treatment and social protection for all workers. Ensuring the Quality Jobs Package has a strong gender dimension, introducing a new directive to prevent psychosocial risks at work, and conducting gender-based occupational risk assessments. Adopting a gender-responsive approach to the dual transition, including a gender dimension in directive on just transition. Taking decisive action against gender bias in AI: mainstreaming both the gender and labour dimensions in all Artificial Intelligence initiatives. Particular attention must be paid to AI-related cyberviolence, such as deepfakes and image-based sexual abuse. Ensuring a strong gender dimension and effective regulation of AI through a Directive on AI at the workplace including provisions on occupational safety and health. Strengthening legal protection against dismissal and discrimination for pregnant workers and those taking parental leave. Increasing access to affordable quality care for children, dependants, and elderly, to ensure workers have the opportunity to engage in full-time employment. Promoting family-friendly working environments and encouraging equal sharing of parental and family leave. Introducing a directive to prevent and eradicate gender-based violence and harassment in the world of work, in which trade unions have a key role. Promoting early education for equality and respectful relationships that challenge gender role stereotypes from a young age. Tackle the persistent underrepresentation of women and girls in education and training pathways, especially in sectors linked to the digital and green transitions (e.g. STEM, AI, climate technologies). Enhancing access to quality VET and guaranteeing the right to free training during paid working hours. Supporting womens upskilling and reskilling is essential for advancing gender equality. This must be shaped through an intersectional lens. The forthcoming Gender Equality Strategy must include concrete measures and policy initiatives, including legislation, that meaningfully advance gender equality across the European Union. It must not rely solely on voluntary activities We are concerned by the European Commissions intention to embed the Gender Equality Strategy within a broader push for competitiveness. Competitiveness must not come at the expense of womens rights, fair and equal pay or health and safety.
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Meeting with David Cormand (Member of the European Parliament)

14 Jul 2025 · Social conditionality / Public Procurement

IndustriAll demands social conditions for industrial carbon subsidies

8 Jul 2025
Topic — Reviewing the EU emissions trading system for aviation, maritime, and stationary installations.
Message — The group demands mandatory social conditions for companies receiving carbon market benefits. They advocate for a policy mix that prevents deindustrialization while supporting low-carbon innovation. The review must check if infrastructure for decarbonization is actually ready.123
Why — Linking subsidies to social rules protects industrial jobs and secures worker benefits during the energy transition.45
Impact — Workers and regions face economic harm if carbon caps tighten without sufficient investment support.6
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Response to Industrial Decarbonisation Accelerator Act

8 Jul 2025

IndustriAll Europe welcomes the Industrial Decarbonisation Accelerator Act and its objective to foster competitive, sustainable and resilient decarbonisation in energy-intensive industries in the EU. The European Commission must send a clear message that European industrys competitiveness and resilience can only be achieved by upholding Europes strong social model, nurturing a highly qualified and motivated workforce and ensuring wider social well-being in Europe. IndustriAll Europe emphasises that: 1. Industrial decarbonisation requires massive public and private investment: We highlight the significant role that joint EU tools, like Next Generation EU and SURE, played to weather the COVID-19 crisis, the need to incentivise and leverage private capital, and the urgent need to review the EU fiscal rules to enable Member States to spend on critical infrastructure and projects facilitating decarbonisation. 2. Decarbonisation of industry requires stable access to low-carbon electricity at scale at competitive prices: We regret that the EU in its recent reform of the Electricity Market Design and the Affordable Energy Action Plan fail to tackle the structural flaws and make it fit for a decarbonised future. We stress the need for a comprehensive impact assessment and a subsequent deep structural reform of the electricity regulatory framework, incl. the decoupling of gas from setting the electricity price in the merit-order system. 3. Resilience and sustainability criteria must be clearly defined and include mandatory social conditionalities: IndustriAll Europe insists on the inclusion of mandatory social conditionalities as enforceable criteria in the selection of priority projects. It is a missed opportunity that social conditionalities remain optional in the NZIA and in the recently proposed CISAF. We insist that social conditionality must be clearly defined and include the following elements: Site preservation commitments, minimum levels of training and upskilling, and strong participation structures Promote good industrial jobs governed by collective agreements and effective information and consultation of workers. The respect of trade union rights is a precondition Worker consultation before fast-track permitting is granted Commitment to develop Just Transition Plans in effective social dialogue with trade unions, including workforce mapping, skills development, and employment safeguards These criteria must apply beyond the immediate recipient and include contractors and supply chain actors. 4. IDAA must foster added value and good industrial jobs in Europe: We welcome the focus of the IDAA on creating lead markets for low-carbon products including through local content provisions. We insist that local content provisions should reflect European supply chains and should include non-EU countries that are integrated into the EU market, as well as candidate countries. As Europe will remain reliant in the short and medium term on foreign companies for certain components and raw materials, we believe that related investments must be accompanied by obligations to transfer technologies, to work with local suppliers, to create joint ventures with European companies and to contribute to the promotion of good quality jobs and working conditions. 5. Speeding up permitting procedures is important, but must ensure high environmental, public health and social safeguards: Member States should not be allowed to bypass existing legislation, but instead efforts should be made to make statutory obligations smoother and quicker through digitalisation, strengthening administrative capacities and staffing as well as adequate financial resources. 6. An EU label alone is not an effective tool to stimulate demand: We advocate for more effective measures such as European preference and social conditionality in public procurement. 7. Trade unions must be involved in the development, implementation and monitoring of the IDAA.
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Meeting with Stéphane Séjourné (Executive Vice-President) and

1 Jul 2025 · EU Strategic Dialogue on the EU Industrial Maritime Strategy.

Meeting with Apostolos Tzitzikostas (Commissioner) and

1 Jul 2025 · Strategic Dialogue on the EU Industrial Maritime Strategy

Meeting with Mohammed Chahim (Member of the European Parliament, Shadow rapporteur for opinion) and European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations and

25 Jun 2025 · Roundtable Critical Medicines Act

industriAll Europe calls for worker-centered EU bioeconomy industrial policy

23 Jun 2025
Topic — The consultation seeks to create a circular, climate-neutral bioeconomy boosting EU competitiveness.
Message — The organization calls for a people-centered approach that defends workers rights and prioritises European-made products in public procurement. They demand binding social conditionalities, such as free training and collective bargaining, for any public funding. Furthermore, they request an impact assessment to evaluate the strategy's effect on jobs and industry.123
Why — These measures would protect industrial jobs and ensure high-quality working conditions.4
Impact — Exporters from the Global South face reduced demand for unsustainable biomass.5
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Response to Anti-racism Strategy

17 Jun 2025

IndustriAll Europe Response to the Open Feedback Consultation EU Anti-Racism Strategy 2026 - 2030 IndustriAll European Trade Union is a federation of independent and democratic trade unions representing manual and non-manual workers in the metal, chemical, energy, mining, textile, clothing and footwear sectors and related industries and activities. We speak for 7 million working men and women united within 200 national trade union affiliates in 39 European countries. People spend a big part of their daily lives at work, the treatment they receive there is decisive for their overall well-being. The upcoming strategy must have a strong workplace dimension. We propose: - Making workplace equality plans mandatory to assess how well equality is being realized, taking into account employees backgrounds, race, languages, religions, and nationalities. These plans should guide necessary actions to promote equality, for example in recruitment processes. The implementation and quality of these plans must be monitored, and attention should be paid to their effectiveness. Trade union representatives must be involved in the drafting of the plans. - Workplaces must have guidelines on how to act when discrimination is observed. Everyone should have access to public services that can deal with cases that are not resolved at the workplace. - The action to combat discrimination, racism, xenophobia and other types of intolerance in the world of work and should be a clear responsibility of the business organisations and individual companies. - The strategy should support Member States to implement inclusive and anti-racist labour market and migration policies, including securing the right to work and access to up- and reskilling for all workers; - Member States must support/encourage/oblige Social Partners to tackle through Social Dialogue: o Agree on guidelines to address workplace harassment and reporting racist incidents; o Fight stereotypes and employ non-discriminatory recruitment measures; o ensure that people from various backgrounds are represented in leadership roles; o analyse collective agreements through an equality lens, taking into account their impact on different groups; o include concrete provisions in collective agreements that promote equality; o implement high-quality equality plans in workplaces; o monitor and review HR documents (recruitment, employment, promotion practices, language requirements, workplace harassment guidelines, religious holiday practices etc.) Bearing in mind that that changing attitudes must begin already in early childhood education and schools, we plead for guidance to schools and teachers (how) to effectively include anti-racism education into their curricula. Moreover, we call for the adoption of the proposed Equal Treatment Directive, which would extend legal protection against to areas beyond employment and occupation, to areas like social protection, education, and access to goods and services, including housing. This would increase the standard of anti-discrimination protection provided by EU law and make it consistent across Member States. The fight against discrimination must be integrated into all EU policies, legislation and funding programs.
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industriAll Europe urges mandatory workplace equality policies for LGBTIQ people

17 Jun 2025
Topic — The initiative focuses on a new EU strategy to combat LGBTIQ inequalities.
Message — The union calls for mandatory workplace equality policies and inclusive agreements. They demand adoption of the Equal Treatment Directive and staff training.123
Why — Strengthening legal protections would counter the corporate rollback of diversity policies.45
Impact — Non-compliant employers would face legal obligations and the enforcement of financial sanctions.67
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Meeting with Leila Chaibi (Member of the European Parliament, Shadow rapporteur) and UNI Europa

13 May 2025 · EMPL file related

Meeting with Andrzej Buła (Member of the European Parliament, Rapporteur)

13 May 2025 · Algorythmic management in the workplace

Meeting with Dan Jørgensen (Commissioner) and

28 Apr 2025 · Role of trade unions in the energy transition

Meeting with Raphaël Glucksmann (Member of the European Parliament, Rapporteur)

22 Apr 2025 · European Defence industry

Meeting with Kerstin Jorna (Director-General Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs) and

10 Apr 2025 · Impact of US tariffs

Meeting with Stéphane Séjourné (Executive Vice-President) and

10 Apr 2025 · Impact of US tariffs

Meeting with Ruth Paserman (Director Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion) and Council of European Employers of the Metal, Engineering and Technology-based Industries

25 Mar 2025 · Future amendment of the EGF Regulation.

Meeting with Idoia Mendia (Member of the European Parliament)

24 Mar 2025 · Meeting with IndustriAll

Meeting with Estrella Galán (Member of the European Parliament) and Sindacato Pensionati Italiani CGIL

21 Mar 2025 · Visit to the Stellantis Mirafiori Plant car factory in Turin

Meeting with Eva Schultz (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Roxana Mînzatu) and The European Steel Association

14 Mar 2025 · Meeting ahead of the publication of the Steel and Metals Action Plan

industriAll urges mandatory social rules in EU procurement revision

6 Mar 2025
Topic — Evaluation of EU directives governing public procurement and the award of concession contracts.
Message — The union demands mandatory social conditions to protect workers' rights and promote collective bargaining. They seek to move away from the lowest-price criterion to prevent social dumping. They also support a mandatory proportion of European content in public purchases.123
Why — This would protect industrial workers' wages and promote collective bargaining across Europe.4
Impact — Non-EU suppliers and firms engaging in social dumping would face contract disqualification.56
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Meeting with Anthony Smith (Member of the European Parliament)

5 Mar 2025 · Clean industriall deal

Meeting with Joan Canton (Head of Unit Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs) and The European Steel Association

4 Mar 2025 · Discussion on preparation of the steel and metals action plan with social partners

Union demands social conditionalities for EU medicine manufacturing

27 Feb 2025
Topic — A legislative initiative addressing supply chain vulnerabilities and dependencies for critical medicines.
Message — The union calls for mandatory social conditionalities on public investments and a Buy European approach to foster domestic production. They advocate for tying state aid to the protection of quality employment, collective bargaining, and cost-free training programs.123
Why — This strategy would secure higher quality jobs and better protections for industrial workers.4
Impact — Foreign producers with lower labor or environmental standards could lose access to contracts.56
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Response to Implementing Act on non-price criteria in renewable energy auctions

21 Feb 2025

industriAll Europe welcomes the basic provision that Article 26 (EU) 2024/1735 obliges Member States to apply non-price prequalification. To date, the focus in renewable energy auctions has mostly been on price criteria resulting in substantial risks for social and workforce dumping. Yet, the proportion of at least 30% of the annual volume auctioned per Member State or, alternatively, at least 6 gigawatts per year per Member State remains too low to effectively address employment conditions. Moreover, while we welcome the reference made to international recommendations for corporate action and internationally recognised standards for corporate due diligence, we believe that voluntary, non-sanctionable agreements only define minimum standards. They can only supplement, not replace, legally binding regulations. These recommendations are also lower than the usual standards and regulations applicable in Europe. In addition, the Implementing Regulation refers to the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) (EU) 2022/2464 and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) (EU) 2024/1760) as the basis for the criterion of responsible corporate behaviour. While important achievements, industriAll Europe deplored the lack of ambition and has called for substantial improvement to strengthen workers involvement and accountability and disclosure obligations for companies with respect to environment, social affairs and human rights. We also emphasise the fact that these pieces of legislation are currently, subject of calls to cut red tape and reducing burdens for companies, in the Commissions simplification agenda. We denounce this inconsistency and insist that workers rights are no red tape. Furthermore, the provisions in the implementation act for Art. 26 that prequalification criteria for responsible business conduct in renewable energy auctions should go beyond due diligence requirements in the existing directives is too vague and leaves the interpretation of what going beyond applicable due diligence requirements would mean to the individual member states. This is inconsistent with the needs to counter fragmentation and internal competition within the EU. It risks undermining the NZIA's goal of strengthening the development and manufacturing of net-zero technologies in Europe. Instead, industriAll Europe calls for mandatory social conditionality as prequalification criteria that should include the full respect for workers and trade union rights, in particular: - promoting collective bargaining and ensure the respect of collective agreements; - Guaranteeing participation, information and consultation of trade unions and workers representatives; - Ensuring quality jobs creation, including fair wages, good working conditions, health and safety at the workplace, job security and social protection, work-life balance, while promoting direct employment; - Supporting training, upskilling and reskilling and the creation of high-quality apprenticeships; - Guaranteeing anticipation and management of change and ensuring a just transition in practice in particular by avoiding redundancies or the deterioration of working conditions; - Limiting subcontracting chains and ensuring that where sub-contractors are in place the same social conditionalities apply; - Contributing to eliminate the pay gap between men and women. For industriAll Europe it is unacceptable that the prequalification criteria in Art. 26 of the Implementing Regulation only refers to the bidding company itself, while the entire supply and value chain remains exempt from these requirements. This will only promote the wide practice of subcontracting and result in undermining critical standards in downstream companies. Therefore, in our opinion, bidders must be obliged to prove that their entire supply and value chain also fulfils the prequalification criteria. Workers representatives must be involved in the monitoring of compliance.
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Meeting with Giorgio Gori (Member of the European Parliament, Rapporteur)

20 Feb 2025 · Exchange on priorities and resolution on energy-intensive industries

Meeting with Stéphane Séjourné (Executive Vice-President) and

19 Feb 2025 · Dialogue on the future of the automotive sector – Suppliers Session

Meeting with Wopke Hoekstra (Commissioner) and

12 Feb 2025 · Dialogue on the future of the automotive sector - Thematic Working Group on 'Clean Transition and Decarbonisation'

Meeting with Isabella Lövin (Member of the European Parliament)

11 Feb 2025 · Exchange of views on industrial workers and demands in upcoming files

Meeting with Michael Bloss (Member of the European Parliament)

11 Feb 2025 · Austausch Industriepolitik

Meeting with Maria Ohisalo (Member of the European Parliament)

11 Feb 2025 · The Clean Industrial Deal

Meeting with Thomas Pellerin-Carlin (Member of the European Parliament)

5 Feb 2025 · Automotive secor

Meeting with Mark Nicklas (Head of Unit Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs)

29 Jan 2025 · challenges of automotive industry

Meeting with Vilija Sysaite (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Stéphane Séjourné)

16 Jan 2025 · Exchange on the upcoming proposals (CID and others) – social partners’ perspectives

Meeting with Roxana Mînzatu (Executive Vice-President) and

14 Jan 2025 · Exchange of views on the social justice and quality jobs crisis Europe is facing Necessary initiatives to deliver quality jobs Improved working and living conditions in the European Union

Meeting with Dan Nica (Member of the European Parliament) and The European Steel Association and

20 Nov 2024 · Debate on the European Steel Industry

Meeting with Estelle Ceulemans (Member of the European Parliament)

12 Nov 2024 · Dossier EMPL à venir

Meeting with Jens Geier (Member of the European Parliament) and The European Steel Association

6 Nov 2024 · Exchange on a European Steel Action Plan

Meeting with Anthony Smith (Member of the European Parliament)

16 Oct 2024 · Nouveau plan sur l'industrie propre

Meeting with Per Clausen (Member of the European Parliament)

16 Oct 2024 · The new mandate, Public Procurement

Meeting with Hanna Gedin (Member of the European Parliament)

16 Oct 2024 · Workers rights

Meeting with Dan Nica (Member of the European Parliament) and The European Steel Association and

15 Oct 2024 · Hearing on Steel Industry - S&D ITRE Working Group

Meeting with Per Clausen (Member of the European Parliament)

24 Sept 2024 · Political Guidelines of the new Commission, Trade Union Intergroup establishment, Good Industrial Jobs campaign

Meeting with Jens Geier (Member of the European Parliament)

17 Sept 2024 · Competitive Energy Prices/Raw Materials/Financing Transition

Meeting with Bruno Gonçalves (Member of the European Parliament) and EUROPEAN TRADE UNION CONFEDERATION and

5 Sept 2024 · ITRE policies

Meeting with Thomas Pellerin-Carlin (Member of the European Parliament)

11 Jul 2024 · Industry

Meeting with Nicolas Schmit (Commissioner) and

25 Jun 2024 · The challenges faced by the steel sector and the situations of Liberty Steel’s sites and jobs in Europe

Meeting with Maroš Šefčovič (Executive Vice-President) and

22 Mar 2024 · Clean Transition Dialogue with the Steel Sector

Meeting with Margrethe Vestager (Executive Vice-President) and

22 Mar 2024 · Discussion of current challenges facing the European Steel sector attended by private industry as well as Ministers and official representatives of Italy, Romania, Poland, Czechia, Belgium, Hungary and Luxembourg

Meeting with Kerstin Jorna (Director-General Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs)

21 Mar 2024 · Keynote speaker at Manufacturing Europe’s Future: steering industrial and trade policies for Good Industrial Jobs

Meeting with Philippe Lamberts (Member of the European Parliament)

20 Mar 2024 · Beyond Growth debate in Europe

Meeting with Aurore Lalucq (Member of the European Parliament)

20 Feb 2024 · ICE Taxer la grande fortune pour financer la transition écologique et sociale

Meeting with Gabriele Bischoff (Member of the European Parliament)

15 Feb 2024 · Podiumsdiskussion zum Thema "Strengthening workers voice in multinational companies"

Meeting with Martine Kemp (Member of the European Parliament)

14 Feb 2024 · Breakfast debate 'Forging a sustainable Future with European steel'

Meeting with Marianne Vind (Member of the European Parliament, Rapporteur)

14 Feb 2024 · EU Talent Pool

Meeting with Joachim Schuster (Member of the European Parliament)

14 Feb 2024 · Forging a Sustainable Future with European Steel

Meeting with Gabriele Bischoff (Member of the European Parliament)

14 Feb 2024 · Breakfast Meeting - Green Steel and Just Transition

Meeting with Hildegard Bentele (Member of the European Parliament) and thyssenkrupp Steel Europe AG and

13 Feb 2024 · Roundtable on Green Deal and Industrial Policy

Meeting with Margrethe Vestager (Executive Vice-President)

8 Feb 2024 · Crisis in the steel sector

Meeting with Margrethe Vestager (Executive Vice-President)

8 Feb 2024 · Meeting with Acting Joint General Secretary

Meeting with Hildegard Bentele (Member of the European Parliament, Shadow rapporteur) and European Association of Mining Industries, Metal Ores & Industrial Minerals

7 Dec 2023 · Key Note - Social Aspects of Critical Raw Materials Supply

Meeting with Aurore Lalucq (Member of the European Parliament)

4 Dec 2023 · Politique industrielle / ICE Taxer la grande fortune pour financer la transition écologique et sociale

Meeting with Ana Carla Pereira (Cabinet of Commissioner Nicolas Schmit) and Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise and Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions

13 Nov 2023 · The future of the social agenda of the EU

Meeting with Helmut Scholz (Member of the European Parliament)

26 Oct 2023 · Green transition

IndustriAll Europe demands social conditions for pharmaceutical sector support

25 Oct 2023
Topic — The European Commission is revising pharmaceutical laws to ensure medicine affordability and security.
Message — They demand linking market exclusivity to social criteria like collective agreements and quality employment. The union also urges reshoring production through domestic production requirements in public tenders.12
Why — Trade unions would secure quality jobs and stronger collective bargaining rights within Europe.3
Impact — Pharmaceutical companies lose commercial autonomy regarding which national markets they choose to supply.4
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Meeting with Joost Korte (Director-General Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion) and EUROGAS and European Federation of Public Service Unions

2 Oct 2023 · Skills

Meeting with Anouk Faber (Cabinet of Commissioner Nicolas Schmit), Christoph Nerlich (Cabinet of Commissioner Nicolas Schmit)

20 Sept 2023 · Meeting on the right to trainings in the European Year of Skills

industriAll Europe Urges Mandatory Social Disclosures in Sustainability Standards

4 Jul 2023
Topic — The European Commission is establishing mandatory sustainability reporting standards for large companies.
Message — Reinstate mandatory reporting for own workforce, collective bargaining, and social dialogue. Remove additional implementation delays and the 10% threshold for country-level data.12
Why — Unions would gain critical data to monitor compliance with labor laws.3
Impact — Vulnerable contract workers lose visibility into their precarious employment conditions.45
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Meeting with Nicolas Schmit (Commissioner) and

5 Jun 2023 · The upskilling/reskilling challenges in the automotive sector in order to ensure a just transition across the ecosystem

Meeting with Ilan De Basso (Member of the European Parliament)

5 Jun 2023 · Möte

Meeting with Nikolaj Villumsen (Member of the European Parliament)

24 May 2023 · ETUC-Congress

Meeting with Bas Eickhout (Member of the European Parliament)

24 May 2023 · ETUC Congress

Meeting with Inma Rodríguez-Piñero (Member of the European Parliament, Rapporteur for opinion) and BUSINESSEUROPE and AEGIS Europe

23 May 2023 · Meeting with stakeholders in the framework of the INTA opinion to the Net Zero Industry Act

Response to Ecodesign for Sustainable Products - Product priorities

11 May 2023

On the Ecodesign For Sustainable Products Regulation, industriAll Europe is calling: - To include social aspects in the definition of sustainability, which in this proposal, only cover environmental requirements. A sustainable product should guarantee that it is a product made under good working conditions and adequate wages, notably guaranteed via collective bargaining. Truly sustainable products are made under good working conditions. - To fully integrate social principles in the regulation. These principles must respect international labour standards, such as the respect of social dialogue and collective bargaining at all levels (company and sector) and respect the ILO labour standards. The eight ILO fundamental conventions must be the key principles, completed with supplementary provisions (such as the principles included in the Ecolabel criteria for electronics13) - To deliver transparent and accessible Information in the digital product passport on: Working conditions, including secure employment, working time and adequate wages Social dialogue, including freedom of association, existence of work councils, collective bargaining (including the rate of workers covered by collective agreements) and rights of workers to information, consultation and participation. Work-life balance and health and safety - To link and define the social aspects of sustainability in coherence with the principles developed in the European Pillar of Social Rights.
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Meeting with Elisabetta Gualmini (Member of the European Parliament) and European Ceramic Industry Association

11 May 2023 · Common issues for the ceramics industry and the industrial workers trade union - APA meeting

Meeting with Maria-Manuel Leitão-Marques (Member of the European Parliament, Rapporteur) and EUROPEAN TRADE UNION CONFEDERATION

8 May 2023 · Forced Labour

Meeting with Raphaël Glucksmann (Member of the European Parliament, Shadow rapporteur) and EUROPEAN TRADE UNION CONFEDERATION

8 May 2023 · APA - Forced labour

Meeting with Leila Chaibi (Member of the European Parliament, Shadow rapporteur)

3 May 2023 · Just transition and job creation

Meeting with Kurt Vandenberghe (Director-General Climate Action) and EUROPEAN TRADE UNION CONFEDERATION and

28 Apr 2023 · FF55; Net Zero industrial plan; Climate risk assessment

Meeting with Lara Wolters (Member of the European Parliament, Rapporteur)

27 Apr 2023 · Rana Plaza 10 years on - what still needs to be done? (APA level)

Meeting with Marc Botenga (Member of the European Parliament)

27 Apr 2023 · Due Diligence and workers' rights

Meeting with Mounir Satouri (Member of the European Parliament)

27 Apr 2023 · Travail forcé dans l'industrie textile

Meeting with Agnes Jongerius (Member of the European Parliament)

25 Apr 2023 · Staff level: Trade Policy, specifically Rana Plaza

Meeting with Francisco Barros Castro (Cabinet of Commissioner Elisa Ferreira), Wioletta Dunin-Majewska (Cabinet of Commissioner Elisa Ferreira)

20 Apr 2023 · Methane Directive and consequences of emissions’ limits for the closures or PL mines and the carrying out of JTF territorial plans.

Meeting with Jutta Paulus (Member of the European Parliament, Rapporteur)

19 Apr 2023 · Methane strategy

Meeting with Agnes Jongerius (Member of the European Parliament)

5 Apr 2023 · Staff level: Rana Plaza

Meeting with Jens Geier (Member of the European Parliament, Shadow rapporteur)

29 Mar 2023 · Exchange on the Methane Regulation

Meeting with Marc Angel (Member of the European Parliament)

29 Mar 2023 · Diversity

Meeting with Alexandr Vondra (Member of the European Parliament, Rapporteur) and Transport and Environment (European Federation for Transport and Environment) and

21 Mar 2023 · EURO 7

Meeting with Sara Matthieu (Member of the European Parliament)

9 Mar 2023 · REPORT on job creation – the just transition and impact investments

Meeting with Delara Burkhardt (Member of the European Parliament, Rapporteur)

9 Feb 2023 · Textiles

Meeting with Agnes Jongerius (Member of the European Parliament) and EUROPEAN TRADE UNION CONFEDERATION

7 Feb 2023 · Social dialogue

Meeting with Delara Burkhardt (Member of the European Parliament, Shadow rapporteur) and Environmental Coalition on Standards

6 Feb 2023 · packaging waste

Meeting with Valdis Dombrovskis (Executive Vice-President) and EUROPEAN TRADE UNION CONFEDERATION

26 Jan 2023 · EU competitiveness, US Inflation Reduction Act, and EU Green Deal Industrial Plan

Meeting with Saskia Bricmont (Member of the European Parliament)

17 Jan 2023 · textile strategy (meeting with APA)

Meeting with Saskia Bricmont (Member of the European Parliament)

9 Jan 2023 · Echange de vues sur la politique commerciale européenne

Meeting with Chris Macmanus (Member of the European Parliament)

30 Nov 2022 · Inflation, Energy Prices and Workers' Wage Levels

Response to European Critical Raw Materials Act

23 Nov 2022

Please see attached IndustriAll European Trade Unions response to the call for evidence on the forthcoming EU Critical Raw Materials Act.
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Meeting with Aleksandra Tomczak (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans)

10 Nov 2022 · Just Transition Fund implementation

Response to Update of the European List of ship recycling facilities - 10th version

17 Oct 2022

IndustriAll European Trade Union and IndustriALL Global Union, representing workers in the ship building and ship recycling sectors, attach their feedback on the 10th update of the European list of ship recycling facilities. Both organisations stress that the removal of the two ship breaking sites in Turkey is a failure for all partners and that the reports of issues at Işıksan and Simsekler highlight real concerns in relation to the occupational health and safety for workers in the ship recycling sector in Turkey. Trade unions demand that the focus must now be on how to immediately improve occupational health and safety measures, environmental standards, and other relevant business procedures to re-include these sites on the List, as well as working on medium-term and long-term strategies to enable more facilities to meet the relevant EU standards noting that there will be a huge increase in ship recycling demand. IndustriAll Europe and IndustriALL Global insist that these activities must be carried out in a manner which respects workers' safety and high environmental standards.
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Meeting with Nicolas Schmit (Commissioner) and

26 Sept 2022 · Occupational Safety and Health (OSH), REACH revision on employment and safe use of chemicals by workers in the EU.

Meeting with Marc Botenga (Member of the European Parliament)

5 Sept 2022 · Workers' struggles

Meeting with Mohammed Chahim (Member of the European Parliament) and HYDROGEN EUROPE RESEARCH

5 Jul 2022 · Fit for 55

Response to Evaluation of the Ship Recycling Regulation

30 Jun 2022

IndustriAll European Trade Union (industriAll Europe) is a federation of independent and democratic trade unions representing manual and non-manual workers in the metal, chemical, energy, mining, textile, clothing and footwear sectors and related industries and activities. We speak for 7 million working men and women united within 180 national trade union affiliates in 38 European countries. Our mandate covers workers in maritime technology, shipbuilding, ship repair and ship recycling, and we work closely with our sister organisation industriALL Global with regard to ship recycling in particular, noting that almost 90% of shipbreaking (gross tonnage) takes place in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. IndustriAll Europe supports the aims of the EU Ship Recycling Regulation (SRR) to prevent, reduce and minimise accidents, injuries and other negative effects on human health and the environment during the shipbreaking/recycling process. We also recognise the SRR’s aim to help ratify the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) 2009 Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships (HKC). Our submission to this call to evidence is attached and we will continue to follow the European Commission’s evaluation and look forward to engaging further in the upcoming public consultation.
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Meeting with Pascal Canfin (Member of the European Parliament) and EUROPEAN TRADE UNION CONFEDERATION

29 Jun 2022 · Fit for 55

Meeting with Evelyn Regner (Member of the European Parliament)

23 Jun 2022 · Equal Opportunities

IndustriAll Europe demands total EU ban on forced labor products

20 Jun 2022
Topic — The EU is proposing a ban on products made using forced labour in the single market.
Message — The union demands the ban cover all countries, sectors, and companies without exceptions for size. They advocate for a traffic light system to flag high-risk sectors and a transparent complaints process. They insist trade unions must be involved in monitoring and remediation.1234
Why — The proposal protects union members from unfair competition by goods produced under abusive conditions.5
Impact — Exploitative producers face product seizures and costly remediation before their goods enter the single market.67
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Response to Sustainable Products Initiative

18 Jun 2022

[See industriAll Europe's complete feedback in attachment] Representing 7 million manufacturing, mining and energy sector workers across Europe, industriAll European Trade Union is the voice of Europe’s industrial workforce at European Level. IndustriAll Europe is an organisation of independent and democratic trade unions representing manual and non-manual workers in the metal, chemical, energy, mining, textile, clothing and footwear sectors and related industries and activities IndustriAll Europe has a strong position to promote and engage Europe in a more circular economy . A circular economy has a very positive impact on European industry by feeding the industrial production system with part of existing materials and products, keeping the value, materials and energy embedded in industrial products in use far longer. This is absolutely necessary on a planet with finite mineral resources, helps to protect nature from unnecessary interference and helps to mitigate climate change. IndustriAll Europe therefore the Circular Economy Package as it will considerably boost the much-needed transition towards a circular economy, if correctly designed and implemented. It comes at a right time to achieve our climate goals and working towards European energy and raw materials independence. IndustriAll Europe is deeply disappointed however, that the Europe. It is good that products on the European market must in future respect strong environmental standards. The requirement for eco-conception will clearly help the transition towards more circularity. But we cannot accept that there is no obligation to respect social standards. It is wrong that consumers should be able to buy ‘sustainable’ products that can be easily repaired and recycled but are produced by underpaid workers or under poor health and safety conditions. We want to insist on the importance of addressing the social dimension of sustainability and it is a matter of importance to define the social criteria of sustainability. Social aspects should include the respect of international labour standards such as the respect of social dialogue and collective bargaining at all level (company, sector) and the respect of the ILO labour standards. The 8 ILO fundamental conventions must be the key principles, completed with supplementary provisions (as in the Ecolabel criteria for electronics) . We also insist on the fact that social aspects of sustainability should also be linked and defined in coherency with the principles developed in the European Pillar of Social Rights. This journey towards a more circular economy is a concrete example of policies to enable the transition of our European industries and this must be a just transition. The proposal would have been an opportunity to tackle social challenges implied by this transition. We therefore deeply regret that the package does not propose any social measures and nothing to support workers in this transition. IndustriAll Europe calls to ensure that the circular economy in Europe will lead to good jobs. For this to happen there is a need for stronger collective bargaining and social dialogue at all levels. Circular economy policies must include a strong focus on skills and competences of the workforce (training, reskilling, upskilling with a right to quality training and life-long learning for every worker).
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Meeting with Mohammed Chahim (Member of the European Parliament)

1 Jun 2022 · Social Climate Fund

Meeting with Agnes Jongerius (Member of the European Parliament)

1 Jun 2022 · Just transition

Meeting with Agnes Jongerius (Member of the European Parliament)

18 May 2022 · Launch Just Transition coalition

Meeting with Agnes Jongerius (Member of the European Parliament)

27 Apr 2022 · Just transition

Meeting with Thierry Breton (Commissioner) and European Environmental Bureau and

23 Mar 2022 · Views of group of civil society organisations regarding the EU strategy for sustainable textiles

Meeting with Helena Braun (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans) and European Environmental Bureau and

22 Mar 2022 · Circular Economy and EU Strategy on Textiles

Meeting with Lucrezia Busa (Cabinet of Commissioner Didier Reynders) and European Environmental Bureau and

22 Mar 2022 · Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence

Meeting with Pascal Canfin (Member of the European Parliament)

28 Feb 2022 · Fit for 55

Meeting with Marc Tarabella (Member of the European Parliament)

7 Feb 2022 · Just Transition in the electricity sector

Meeting with Sara Cerdas (Member of the European Parliament, Shadow rapporteur)

11 Jan 2022 · Revision of the Regulation on CO2 standards for cars and vans in the context of the Fit for 55 package

Meeting with Marc Tarabella (Member of the European Parliament)

25 Oct 2021 · Unfair Trading Practices:

Meeting with Dennis Radtke (Member of the European Parliament, Rapporteur)

14 Oct 2021 · European Works Councils Directive

Meeting with Helena Braun (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans) and The European Steel Association and

6 Oct 2021 · Circular economy and upcoming revision of waste shipment rules

Meeting with Agnieszka Skonieczna (Cabinet of Commissioner Thierry Breton)

30 Sept 2021 · Sustainable Corporate Governance

Response to Requirements for Artificial Intelligence

3 Aug 2021

IndustriAll Europe welcomes the European Commission’s draft regulation on AI, as it is the first proposal of its kind and will set new standards when it comes to addressing the challenges of high-end technology and human rights implications. We appreciate the opportunity to provide feedback on the draft regulation. Although we share doubts, with other trade unions and civil rights organisations, that the risk-based approach is fit for purpose, and although we think that a rights-based approach to the Regulation would have been preferable, we acknowledge that the risk-based approach is thoroughly applied in the proposal. In that sense, we welcome that “AI systems used in education or vocational training, notably for determining access or assigning persons to educational and vocational training institutions, or to evaluate persons on tests as part of or as a precondition for their education should be considered high-risk (...)” (35). We further welcome that “AI systems used in employment, workers management and access to self-employment, notably for the recruitment and selection of persons, for making decisions on promotion and termination and for task allocation, monitoring or evaluation of persons in work-related contractual relationships, should also be classified as high-risk (...)” (36). The current proposal, however, does not take into consideration the impact of AI on workers rights and the need to anticipate change. Human rights considerations in the wider sense are also neglected. The potential adverse impact of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning systems on the environment is missing altogether. The current proposal should therefore be complemented by additional and tailored Regulations that can address the gaps that pose risks to those who are subjected to AI/ML systems. industriAll Europe further suggests to include the following points in the AI Regulation: - A comprehensive chapter on AI at the workplace in the Regulation, or a stand-alone Regulation on AI at the workplace, which should be drafted upon consulting cross industry social partners as well as sectoral social partners; - Any chapter on AI at the workplace must include the roles of trade unions and works councils, as well as that of collective bargaining; - Every worker should be aware of the exact nature of such a system monitoring their performance, and of the parameters used to evaluate them; - Works councils should be provided with the means to hire software engineers to support them in their analyses of the AI/ML systems; - Explainability must be guaranteed by using a language that is understood by those subjected to AI/ML systems; - Consent to the processing of worker-related data should only be given collectively; individual consent should not be considered sufficient in a situation of employment or of dependent work; - It should be clarified that platform workers should also be covered by the relevant collective agreements; - Clearly define the questions of liability and redress in accidents and incidents involving AI systems. The current general rule, whereby the employer is by default liable for any accident in the workplace (in the absence of any wrongdoing by the worker) should remain; - Ban all types of emotional recognition software, as they are highly unreliable and their outcomes have the potential to be more harmful than helpful; - Any AI application dealing with personal data, with workers’ data and/or which affects working conditions should be classified as ‘high-risk’ and subject to a third-party conformity assessment. We thank the European Commission for giving us the opportunity to comment on the proposed Regulation in more detail. Please find attached a document in which we elaborate our position in more detail. It is the result of extensive discussions with our member organisations. We would be grateful if the points that are raised in the document could be taken into account.
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Response to Revision of the Machinery Directive

30 Jul 2021

IndustriAll Europe welcomes the proposed Regulation on machinery products and strongly supports the scope and destination route. We also welcome the linkage to the draft Regulation on AI. As the European federation of independent and democratic trade unions representing manual and non-manual workers in the metal, chemical, energy, mining, textile, clothing and footwear sectors and related industries and activities, we take an active stance on this issue as it affects the work and life of the vast majority of the 7 million working men and women who are members of our affiliated organisations. It is indeed high time to revise the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC in order to take into account the technological developments of the last decades, namely that of machine learning and artificial intelligence technologies. IndustriAll Europe also welcomes that the Commission proposes to advance the Directive into a Regulation, as this will contribute to a further harmonisation across the European Union and take into account the challenges that new and emerging technologies pose. We thank the European Commission for giving us the opportunity to comment on the proposed Regulation in more detail. Please find attached a number of points that we find relevant for the Regulation. They are the result of extensive discussions with our member organisations and with colleagues working in the industry and who will therefore be directly affected by the revision of the existing legislation. We would be grateful if they could be taken into account.
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Meeting with Aleksandra Tomczak (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans)

7 Jun 2021 · Social aspects of Fit for 55

Meeting with Thierry Breton (Commissioner) and

7 Jun 2021 · Pact for skills: re/upskilling needs for a successful green and digital transition in the energy intensive industries ecosystem

Meeting with Nicolas Schmit (Commissioner) and

1 Jun 2021 · Exchanges on the Fit for 55 package.

Meeting with Frans Timmermans (Executive Vice-President) and BUSINESSEUROPE and

1 Jun 2021 · Fit for 55 Package

Response to Revision of EU legislation on hazard classification, labelling and packaging of chemicals

31 May 2021

IndustriAll European Trade Union is a federation of independent and democratic trade unions representing manual and non-manual workers in the metal, chemical, energy, mining, textile, clothing and footwear sectors and related industries and activities. We speak for 7 million working men and women united within 180 national trade union affiliates in 38 European countries. IndustriAll Europe’s secretariat appreciates that a through impact assessment is conducted before a revision of CLP is proposed, considering the social, economic and environmental impact of potential changes to the current regime. For us, the social impact is of specific importance. We recognise that improved classification and labelling may increase worker protection and working conditions. However, we ask that the impact assessment also considers possible employment effects, needs for training and information, etc.
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Response to Revision of EU legislation on registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals

31 May 2021

IndustriAll European Trade Union is a federation of independent and democratic trade unions representing manual and non-manual workers in the metal, chemical, energy, mining, textile, clothing and footwear sectors and related industries and activities. We speak for 7 million working men and women united within 180 national trade union affiliates in 38 European countries. We welcome the Commission’s commitment to REACH and to the European Chemicals Agency. IndustriAll Europe fully supports attempts to make substance assessment processes simpler and more transparent, hence reducing the burden on all stakeholders and making decision-making faster as well as more consistent and predictable. ‘One substance, one assessment’ should be the ultimate goal. We welcome the plan to formulate approaches to limit the dangers associated with endocrine disruptors, combination effects of chemicals (“cocktail effects”) and Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS, “forever-chemicals”). IndustriAll Europe’s secretariat appreciates that a through impact assessment is conducted before any revision of REACH is proposed, considering the social, economic and environmental impact of potential changes to the current regime. For us, the social impact is of specific importance. We ask that the impact assessment carefully considers possible employment effects, long term and short term. In addition, new skills sets and skills mismatches that could arise from a revision should be assessed and, in consequence, the needs for training and up-skilling.
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Meeting with Thierry Breton (Commissioner) and Eurelectric aisbl and

11 May 2021 · Pact for Skills roundtable with the renewable energies ecosystem sector

Meeting with Nicolas Schmit (Commissioner) and

11 May 2021 · Pact for Skills roundtable with the renewable energies ecosystem sector.

Meeting with Thierry Breton (Commissioner) and European Environmental Bureau and

5 May 2021 · Implementation of the chemicals strategy for sustainability

Meeting with Thierry Breton (Commissioner)

14 Apr 2021 · Meeting on industrial policy and recovery / objectives of the upcoming update of the Industrial Strategy

Meeting with Andrea Beltramello (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis) and Brot für die Welt and

23 Mar 2021 · Review of the EU regulation on a generalized scheme of preference

Meeting with Nicolas Schmit (Commissioner) and

16 Mar 2021 · Pact for Skills roundtable with the textile, clothing, leather and footwear sectors.

Response to Europe’s digital decade: 2030 digital targets

9 Mar 2021

industriAll Europe welcomes the European Commission’s initiative towards a common digital decade for the European Union, the Member States and the citizens. A dedicated roadmap with ambitious targets and well-defined milestones is needed to achieve the overall goals of the green and digital transitions. We appreciate the opportunity to provide feedback on the roadmap and have prepared a more detailed position (see attached) with a focus on the industrial dimension and the skills needs that should be taken into account.
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Meeting with Frans Timmermans (Executive Vice-President)

28 Jan 2021 · Just transition in Central and Eastern Europe

Meeting with Aleksandra Tomczak (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans)

20 Jan 2021 · Preparatory meeting for the event on just transition with the participation of the Executive Vice President

Meeting with Anouk Faber (Cabinet of Commissioner Nicolas Schmit), Christoph Nerlich (Cabinet of Commissioner Nicolas Schmit) and

15 Jan 2021 · Meeting on the Pact for Skills.

Meeting with Anouk Faber (Cabinet of Commissioner Nicolas Schmit), Christoph Nerlich (Cabinet of Commissioner Nicolas Schmit) and Council of European Employers of the Metal, Engineering and Technology-based Industries

18 Nov 2020 · Meeting on the Pact for Skills in the metal and engineering industry.

Meeting with Andrea Nahles (Cabinet of Commissioner Nicolas Schmit) and Deutscher Gewerkschaftsbund and

12 Nov 2020 · Social dialogue

Response to Union of Equality: European Disability Rights Strategy

9 Nov 2020

IndustriAll European Trade Union is a federation of independent and democratic trade unions representing manual and non-manual workers in the metal, chemical, energy, mining, textile, clothing and footwear sectors and related industries and activities. We speak for 7 million working men and women united within 180 national trade union affiliates in 38 European countries. IndustriAll Europe has made a strong commitment to equal opportunities and non-discrimination at the workplace, one of our focus groups are persons with disabilities. We fully support the position of the European Trade Union Confederation (full document attached), calling for: - guaranteed accessibility and inclusion of further education and lifelong learning - non-discrimination in employment, non-discrimination in recruitment, non-discrimination in pay - active labour market policies for persons with disabilities - Workers with disabilities resulting from an accident, whether at work or otherwise, should be granted support for re-employment, continuing employment or an equivalent job reflecting the new skills of the person concerned, without loss of the working conditions enjoyed before the injury. - strengthen obligations for offering reasonable adaptation of the workplace for a worker with disability - In the case of sheltered workshops, persons with disabilities should at least be ensured the legal status equivalent to labour rights of people working in open working environments. Effort should also be undertaken to train and support workers to transition towards the open labour market.
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Meeting with Thierry Breton (Commissioner) and

16 Oct 2020 · Roundtable on Aerospace & Defence Pact for Skills

Meeting with Nicolas Schmit (Commissioner) and

16 Oct 2020 · Pact for Skills Roundtable on Aerospace & Defence.

Meeting with Thierry Breton (Commissioner) and

5 Oct 2020 · Roundtable skills on Microelectronics

Meeting with Nicolas Schmit (Commissioner) and

5 Oct 2020 · Pact for Skills Roundtable with the microelectronic sector.

Meeting with Andrea Nahles (Cabinet of Commissioner Nicolas Schmit) and European Transport Workers' Federation and

2 Oct 2020 · Social dialogue

Meeting with Nicolas Schmit (Commissioner) and

24 Sept 2020 · Pact for Skills Roundtable with the automotive sector.

Meeting with Thierry Breton (Commissioner) and

23 Sept 2020 · Roundtable skills for the Automotive sector

Response to Chemicals strategy for sustainability

20 Jun 2020

Disclaimer: This note has been prepared to give a short feedback to the Chemical Strategy for Sustainability roadmap. It reflects the preliminary analysis of IndustriAll Europe’s secretariat but is not an official policy document. industriAll European Trade Union welcomes a comprehensive approach to chemicals, management of substances and industrial chemical production in Europe. We support the goals of the European Green Deal and a just transition to a sustainable chemical industry. industriAll Europe advocates for the highest possible protection of human health and the environment within a transparent and clear regulatory framework. Innovation and incentives to innovate that lead to the substitution of substances of concern by less harmful chemicals are highly welcome. industriAll Europe emphasises the role of the chemical industry as a decisive enabler of many of the goals and initiatives of the European Green Deal. For example, it provides a lot of solutions that enable a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions: essential components for building materials, wind turbine blades, solar panels, electric and high efficiency vehicles, etc. The chemical industry is an essential part of key industrial value chains in Europe and must remain so in the future. IndustriAll Europe wishes to draw attention to the growth potential of a sustainable chemical industry and to the traditionally good employment opportunities (currently around 2 million jobs in Europe). Moreover, the Covid-19 crisis has shown the relevance of securing core production the EU. IndustriAll Europe urges the European Commission to reduce the dependency on imports of essential substances. IndustriAll Europe therefore advocates for a strong industrial policy pillar in the Chemical Strategy for Sustainability that enables innovation, builds on the chemical industry as a growth industry for post-Covid recovery and maximises the benefits to health, environment and society.
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Meeting with Ana Carla Pereira (Cabinet of Commissioner Nicolas Schmit) and EUROPEAN TRADE UNION CONFEDERATION and

15 Jun 2020 · European trade unions’ call for swift action on worker involvement rights

Meeting with Nicolas Schmit (Commissioner) and

5 Jun 2020 · Videoconference on the closure of Nissan plant in Barcelona.

Response to Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism

1 Apr 2020

For IndustriAll Europe, increasing the EU climate ambition in a context of global asymmetrical climate policies requires – among other instruments - a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) to include imports into the EU Emission Trading System and to exempt exports from the impact of such a scheme. If IndustriAll Europe supports the general idea of having an EU CBAM to accompany the efforts to reduce emissions by 2030 and 2050, many issues related to its design and implementation will require further discussions. The aim of this document is to present IAE preliminary views on the need for a CBAM and to identify the main issues to be further discussed to ensure that the future mechanism will secure mutual benefits for the EU climate policy and for the EU industry and its workers. To adequately inform policy-makers, IndustriAll Europe stresses the need to intensively consult social partners from the various concerned sectors during later stages of the decision-making process. More details in the uploaded document.
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Response to Fast-track interservice consultation on the 'SEIP including a JTM and the JTF"

12 Mar 2020

In the uploaded document, IndustriAll Europe Secretariat presents its preliminary analysis of the the proposed Just Transition Mechanism. Whereas the initiative will help industrial regions to better manage their transition to a low-emission economy, a series of questions and concerns remain and the proposed initiative could be improved in many ways. Social partners should be better involved in the territorial just transition plans. The amount of public money available look rather small compared to the scope of activities that could be supported as well as compared to the challenges ahead. The proposed allocation method could be finetuned to better take into account the scpecific challenges that some regions are struggling with.
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Meeting with Aleksandra Tomczak (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans), Antoine Colombani (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans)

14 Feb 2020 · Green Deal and just transition in industry

Meeting with Thierry Breton (Commissioner) and

10 Feb 2020 · Exchange on social impact of the Green and Digital transition

Response to A new Circular Economy Action Plan

20 Jan 2020

IndustriAll European trade union welcomes the initiative of the Commission to extend the scope and ambition of its Circular Economy policies. It generally agrees with the intentions, BUT strongly demands an integrated social policy to support the transition of affected sectors, regions and companies. You will find our main comments below, under headlines corresponding to the items listed in §B of the roadmap, and in our attached Policy Brief on "an industrialised Circular Economy". 1. High-impact sectors such as textiles, construction, electronics + Social and geographic impacts The action should go beyond "skills, SMEs and capacity-building". It should include an integrated social policy to support the transition of affected sectors towards circularity, and specifically of those with a high environmental impact (textile, construction, electronics), which are planned to be the purpose of a targeted policy, as well as the transition of strongly affected regions. 2. Sustainable products policy The action should go beyond "identifying options". It should make concrete, probably legally binding, proposals for regulation. These should support longer lifetime of products and preventive maintenance, in addition to repair and re-use, e.g. via eco-design requirements. Considering the added complexity of rules on products to be brought by these Circular Economy requirements, the policy should mandate Member States to significantly enhance the resources allocated to Market Surveillance and Customs authorities. 3. Information to consumers This information should most probably be based on the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) methodology. The PEF methodology however is based on Life-Cycle Assessment, and thus only considers one cycle. It should be adapted to include the effects of the lifetime of a product and of the number of cycles that a given piece of material has been able to remain in the economy, potentially in different products (with provisions for situations, which already exist, e.g. aluminium, where this number of cycles in infinite. This situation, albeit currently rare, should be included in the reflection because this is the ultimate goal of a fully Circular Economy). 4. Export of waste and Market for secondary raw materials These policies could be helped by a standard scale of usability of a product or material, with intermediate statuses between "product" and "waste". See a proposal for these intermediate statuses in p.14 of our Policy Brief (attached). Such a differentiated scale would enable: • a specific market for each standard level of usability of products; and • a specific legislation for waste shipment: the closer to a "product", the more liberal the export policy, the closer to "(hazardous) waste", the more restrictive. 5. Innovation and Investment • Targeted innovation programmes should pilot integrated circular industrial platforms mobilising digital tools for (1) "product passports" using a Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) standard for end-to-end communication along supply chains and along the product life-cycle, (2) automated test, diagnosis and dis-assembly, and (3) reverse logistics. See a more complete description pp. 17-18 of our attached Policy Brief. • Financial support for investment should include a support to lending and leasing business models, which are very capital-intensive, by including lending or leasing activities of long-lasting products in the EU taxonomy for sustainable activities. See p. 16 of the attached Policy Brief.
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Meeting with Margrethe Vestager (Executive Vice-President)

6 Dec 2019 · Meeting with Chairman of Danish Metal and Vice-President of IndustriALL Europe

Response to European Partnership for transforming Europe’s rail system

13 Aug 2019

For industriAll European Trade Union maintaining a diversified industry sector and keeping industrial value chains inside the EU is at the core of our priorities. In the past we very much welcomed the initiative to set up the Shift2Rail JU and building on its positive results we fully support its continuation in a second stage. Indeed, the railway industry is a stronghold of Europe’s industry with global leadership and providing quality jobs to 400.000 workers. The sector has many strengths that need to be supported. The sector offers a good combination of big leading companies, highly sophisticated suppliers, good factor conditions (high level of R&D, highly skilled and competent staff). It also has a leading position in high tech products like HST, ERTMS, light rail. Furthermore, its huge export surplus contributes to our trade balance, while a strong and demanding home market pushes the industry forward. Finally, the sector is on a stable growth path, driven by megatrends like urbanisation, road congestion, sustainable development. The rail supply industry is also a laboratory where all kinds of research come together: energy, lightweight materials, drivetrains, connectivity with satellites, infrastructures, environment (noise). This makes it by excellence a sector where coordination of innovation will create plenty of synergies and new ecosystems for rail R&D. However, the new JU should not only underpin the strengths but also address the weaknesses: - Growing competition from emerging markets - The underperformance of freight transport where digitalisation should lead to new breakthroughs - Cost-competitiveness: fares are far too high if we want (and we should do so) to make rail transport the standard for distances between 300-700 km - A chronic shortage of skilled employees because of an ageing workforce and a lack of attractiveness to young people Furthermore, we see many research needs regarding: - Reduction of lifecylce costs of rolling stock by means of intelligent maintenance systems - Development of alternative propulsion concepts (fuel cells) - Increase of the capacity of rail networks by making them smart - Development of digital tracking and tracing applications - Development of digital platforms providing solutions for passengers to enhance access to all multimodal travel services (shopping, ticketing, planning, real-time traffic management) - Integration of the new digital technologies in a traditional industrial sector: artificial intelligence, internet of things, robotics, V2V and vehicle-to-infrastructure communications, big data, photonics, 5G - The digitalisation of the supply chain (turning traditional industry into ‘Factories of the Future’, capable to manufacture ‘on demand’) - Providing SME’s easy access to expertise, guidance and coaching, and supporting them to speed up their uptake of advanced technologies - Defining the role of rail in a multimodal transport system Finally, we agree with the statement that the proposed partnership will create high-quality jobs in the rail sector and in other related sectors (such as telematics, IT). However the assessment of the likely social impacts has to take into account that the digitalisation of the industry will also have a negative impact on jobs: automated trains do not need a driver anymore and require less supervision, less staff will be required for customer services as consumers will take their work over by means of digitalised interfaces. This has to be addressed by timely retraining and by organising the internal mobillity in railway companies.
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Meeting with Andras Inotai (Cabinet of Vice-President Karmenu Vella) and Shipyards' and Maritime Equipment Association of Europe

18 Feb 2019 · Blue Skills

Response to Revision of the Machinery Directive

11 Feb 2019

Our observation relates to the proposed methodology of the Impact Assessment. The Option 2 being considered (p.3) mixes in its bullet point on changes to "the essential health and safety requirements" two very different issues: (1) the possibility to submit documentation in digital format, which is easy to discuss and raises no specific issue; and (2) the inclusion of developments in "emerging digital technologies" such as Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things and cybersecurity. This second issue is in our views the essential point to discuss, with important potential implications for workers and for industry. We suggest separating the two points, by creating one specific policy sub-Option for the inclusion of developments in "emerging digital technologies" such as Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things and cybersecurity only. The point regarding the possibility of submitting documentation in digital format would then be the purpose of another sub-option to be evaluated separately, under the heading of "information requirements". Thereby, the very essential discussion on "emerging digital technologies" such as Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things and cybersecurity would be considered, studied and discussed separately from the rest in the further policy work to be undertaken by the Commission (or by consultants working for them) and in the ensuing consultations with stakeholders.
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Meeting with Marianne Thyssen (Commissioner) and EUROPEAN TRADE UNION CONFEDERATION and

23 Nov 2018 · Collective rights

Response to Free allocation of emission allowances

22 Nov 2018

IndustriAll European Trade Union’s feedback to the European Commission’s Draft Delegated Regulation on free allocation rules IndustriAll European Trade Union would like to officially raise the concerns of European steelworkers in relation to the European Commission’s Draft Delegated Regulation on free allocation rules. The European steel sector, and its workers, have faced many crises over the past 10 years. Even today, the sector faces huge challenges: an increase in global overcapacity; an increase in dumping of cheap steel from third countries on the EU market; and most recently, unfair and protectionist trade measures by third countries such as the USA’s recent tariffs in relation to Section 232. IndustriAll Europe has worked closely with the European Commission on many of these topics including the most recent Safeguards Investigation, where we officially noted our admiration of the speed in which the European Commission had acted. We also appreciate the work of the European Commission in respect to the recently adopted Trade Defence Instruments and the New Anti-Dumping Methodology, both of which we strongly campaigned for. These actions have sent a positive message to European steel workers that the European Commission is fighting on their behalf to level the global playing field. However, we believe that the European Commission’s Draft Delegated Regulation on free allocation rules risks to undermine this previous work of the European Commission in supporting the European steel sector and its workers. We believe that the proposed change in the methodology for calculating free allocations in the EU ETS (2021-2030) would be incredibly damaging to the European steel industry. We do not agree that different criteria should be used pre- and post- 2020 and we recall that the mandate of the European Commission was to update the existing benchmark values not to modifying the underlying methodology. We are also concerned about the new rules in relation to the flaring of waste gases and note that although the proposed changes come into force in 2026, that the data used to calculate the penalties would cover 2019-2023. As such, there will be no transition period to allow for investments, upgrades or changes in practices. European steel is subject to carbon leakage and as such, further pressures on this sector will be extremely damaging as it would decrease the competitiveness of the European sector. Thousands of direct and indirect jobs, as well as local businesses and communities, are dependent on the success of this European industry and we need to protect jobs here in Europe. Therefore, we request that the views of the European trade unions, the European steel workers, is taken into account and that the Commission does not punish the sector by using new unfair methodologies.
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Meeting with Risto Artjoki (Cabinet of Vice-President Jyrki Katainen)

16 Oct 2018 · Social Europe

Meeting with Joost Korte (Director-General Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion) and EUROPEAN TRADE UNION CONFEDERATION and

17 Sept 2018 · Key note speaker at the conference "European congress on cross-border social security Quo Vadis?"

Meeting with Maroš Šefčovič (Vice-President) and

10 Apr 2018 · 3rd Mobility package

Meeting with Maroš Šefčovič (Vice-President) and

6 Nov 2017 · 2nd Mobility Package

Response to Fairness in platform-to-business relations

26 Oct 2017

As mentioned in our answer to the consultation and in the Policy Brief attached, industriAll European trade union supports legislative measures providing detailed principles (option 3), establishing a “single European regulator of digital on-line services”. This regulator should be allowed to receive information on Unfair Trade Practices (UTPs) by any actor in the digital world, and to handle it confidentially, so as to protect its informant against the risk of retaliation by the stronger party. It should then be entitled to engage in legal action to repress these UTPs, while still preserving the plaintiff from retaliation. In addition, web sites that sell products or select information should be mandated to include a fair search algorithm. A concentric search, whereby all relevant results are first displayed in a random order (this randomness being controlled by third party inspection of the source code), with an easy option to refine search within these results, could be a first viable technical option for such a fair search algorithm. This fair algorithm would then be proposed in parallel to the proprietary, opaque algorithm of the platform. We also propose that, when a digital platform has reached a monopolistic position in a given linguistic domain in the European Union, it should be legally separated from the rest of the company, in order to prevent cross-subsidisation and price distortions on the market. The impact of UTPs is also economic and social, from a distributive point of view: seller businesses that are victims of UTPs have their value added captured by the platform. They loose their capacity to innovate, to invest, to maintain their productive capital (negative economic effects), and that of providing decent working and wage conditions to their workers - and to those in their supply chain (negative social effects).
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Response to Initiative to improve the Food Supply Chain

3 Aug 2017

IndustriAll European trade union is the federation of trade unions in the non-food industrial value chains, and represents 7 M members from 190 organisations in 38 countries in Europe (including all EU 28 Member States). We are very aware of the prevalence of Unfair Trade Practices (UTPs) along industrial value chains, and witness them directly in many industrial sectors other than the agro-food sector. Of specific concern to us is the situation in the Textile, Clothing, Leather & Footwear (TCLF) sectors, where the power asymmetry between (1) large brands having access to the end-user market and (2) small, dispersed producers, is largest. These UTPs have very negative consequences on the business model of these suppliers, but much worse consequences on their workers. Low prices mean even lower wages. Short-term contracts mean precarious employment conditions and unpredictability of work load, to the detriment of the work-life balance of a mainly female work-force. These very bad wage and working conditions also exist in the European Union, specifically in South-East Europe. The direct connection between UTPs and bad working conditions in supplying companies is illustrated in the report "Suppliers speak up" by Ethical Trade Norway http://etiskhandel.no/noop/file.php?id=13481, covering international supply chains from China, Vietnam and India - but whose conclusions can be applicable to Europe in many cases. The appallingly bad wage and working conditions in the TCLF sector in Eastern Europe and Turkey are illustrated in the report "Stitched up – Poverty wages for garment workers in Eastern Europe and Turkey" by the Clean Clothes Campaign https://cleanclothes.org/resources/publications/stitched-up-1 . We therefore strongly encourage the Commission to regulate Unfair Trade Practices (UTPs) in all industrial sectors, not only agro-food, with a preference for a framework legislation (Options 3 or 4). It is our experience that self-regulation by powerful market actors, e.g. "codes of conduct", fails miserably in delivering concrete results for workers and for weaker participants in the supply chain. We encourage also not to include in the foreseen regulation of UTPs provisions such as a restriction of scope based upon the perishable nature of the products. Such a restriction would prevent this regulation from being extended to other industrial sectors, such as TCLF.
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Meeting with Maroš Šefčovič (Vice-President) and

15 May 2017 · Transport and mobility policy

Meeting with Marlene Madsen (Cabinet of Vice-President Jyrki Katainen)

12 Apr 2017 · European Pillar of Social Rights

Meeting with Marlene Madsen (Cabinet of Vice-President Jyrki Katainen)

13 Mar 2017 · Working Time

Meeting with Rolf Carsten Bermig (Cabinet of Commissioner Elżbieta Bieńkowska), Tomasz Husak (Cabinet of Commissioner Elżbieta Bieńkowska)

31 Jan 2017 · Caterpillar

Meeting with Marianne Thyssen (Commissioner)

24 Nov 2016 · 'Work of the Task Force Caterpillar'

Meeting with Maroš Šefčovič (Vice-President) and BUSINESSEUROPE and

21 Nov 2016 · Consultation of Social Partners on Energy Union

Meeting with Christian Linder (Cabinet of Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič)

8 Nov 2016 · Energy Union - State of play

Meeting with Jyrki Katainen (Vice-President)

17 Oct 2016 · Circular economy

Meeting with Günther Oettinger (Commissioner)

8 Jul 2016 · digital skills

Meeting with Elżbieta Bieńkowska (Commissioner) and

27 Apr 2016 · Seminar Aerospace: A European success story- protecting highly-skilled jobs and investing in the future

Meeting with Friedrich Wenzel Bulst (Cabinet of Commissioner Margrethe Vestager)

14 Apr 2016 · Digitalisation of industry

Meeting with Dominique Ristori (Director-General Energy) and European Federation of Public Service Unions

25 Feb 2016 · Energy policy

Meeting with Andrus Ansip (Vice-President) and

18 Feb 2016 · Digital Single Market and it's impact on jobs

Meeting with Christian Linder (Cabinet of Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič)

29 Jan 2016 · The role of jobs, skills and social dialogue in the Energy Union

Meeting with Stefaan Hermans (Cabinet of Commissioner Marianne Thyssen)

7 Jan 2016 · Employment and social challenges for the maritime sector

Meeting with Valdis Dombrovskis (Vice-President) and

16 Nov 2015 · Meeting held in the context of EU Social dialogue to discuss ways to improve sectoral dialogue at EU level and the IndustriALL's presentation on innovation policy

Meeting with Maximilian Strotmann (Cabinet of Vice-President Andrus Ansip), Stig Joergen Gren (Cabinet of Vice-President Andrus Ansip)

25 Sept 2015 · Innovation, standardisation

Meeting with Jyrki Katainen (Vice-President)

21 Sept 2015 · Innovation

Meeting with Christian Linder (Cabinet of Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič) and EUROPEAN TRADE UNION CONFEDERATION and European Federation of Public Service Unions

16 Jul 2015 · Trade Union view on the role of Social Partners in the Energy Union Strategy

Meeting with Robert Madelin (Director-General Communications Networks, Content and Technology)

29 Apr 2015 · DSM and Innovation

Meeting with Juho Romakkaniemi (Cabinet of Vice-President Jyrki Katainen) and Ammattiliitto Pro

5 Dec 2014 · Investment Initiative