CESI Presidium calls for EU action to tackle the automotive sector crisis and protect workers

As the industry grapples with unprecedented challenges, CESI’s Presidium on December 3 put forward a set of demands to ensure a fair and sustainable transition that safeguards automobile sector workers and that promotes innovation and supports economic resilience in the car industry.

The demands, tabled at CESI’s Presidium by Roberto Di Maulo, Secretary General of the Italian metal workers union Fismic/Confsal and Vice President of CESI, underscores the pressing need to mitigate the impacts of ongoing transformations in the sector on workers and their communities, in many European countries – especially where social safety nets expire, which threatens widespread layoffs and plant closures.

The automotive industry, a key pillar of Europe’s economy, is experiencing profound upheaval. Component manufacturers, in Italy as well as further European countries, face extreme difficulties due to European carmakers in difficulty. Without decisive action, these challenges risk to destabilise regional economies and undermine the EU’s ambitious Green Deal objectives as well as employment and social policy targets under the European Pillar of Social Rights.

CESI urges the EU to adopt the following measures to reconcile climate goals with the economic and social realities of the automotive sector:

1. Realistic and gradual transition: Reevaluate the EU deadlines for the energy transition, taking into account the specific needs of regional industries.
2. Enhanced economic support: Expand funding and introduce tax incentives to encourage investments in green technologies.
3. Innovation and green technology: Accelerate research and development initiatives while simplifying access to funding for SMEs.
4. Technological neutrality: Recognise alternative fuels and intermediate technologies as critical pathways to achieving sustainability.
5. Comprehensive transition plans: Implement industry-wide strategies for retraining, upskilling, and redeployment of workers.
6. Enhanced social dialogue: Strengthen the role of trade unions in EU-level policymaking to ensure worker voices shape the transition.
7. Fair working conditions: Enforce labour rights to protect workers from exploitation during periods of transformation
8. Economic support packages: Provide robust financial assistance to regions and sectors disproportionately affected by industrial restructuring.
9. Sustainability and innovation: Incentivise companies to adopt sustainable practices while maintaining a commitment to workforce development.

“The automotive sector’s transition is not just an industrial challenge but a social one,” said Roberto Di Maulo. “While we champion Europe’s ambitious climate goals, we must ensure they are met without sacrificing the livelihoods of workers or destabilising sectoral economies with devastating effects on workers and the risks of impoverishment of entire regions. A just transition is the only path forward.”

CESI’s set of demands reflects the collective concerns of its member unions in EU Member States with large automobile sectors and employers. The challenges facing e.g. Italy’s automotive sector are a microcosm of the broader European struggle to balance environmental aspirations with socio-economic stability.

“The demands of by CESI towards the EU are not just about saving jobs; they are about creating a sustainable future for workers and industries alike,” added Romain Wolff, President of CESI. “We call on EU institutions to act decisively and embrace this opportunity to set a global example for a fair and inclusive transition.”