Strengthening ALMPs and European cooperation: ACTIVER seminar in Romania

On the occasion of the European Youth Event 2021 (#EYE2021- European Youth Event in Strasbourg), the CESI Youth panel on ‘EU Resilience and Recovery (RRF) Policies: Bringing youth employment back on track’ started from the presumption that ‘youth voices should be everywhere decisions are being made’ (Jana Degrott during the #EYE2021) and that EU post pandemic recovery should address better youth policies.

The first session of the panel focused on the current challenges young people face and from the reports of the European Youth Forum, Eurofound and FEANTSA/ Abbe Pierre Foundation it is clear that the pandemic had a huge impact on young people in terms of increased unemployment rates, exclusion form online education, struggles to make ends meet, social exclusion, housing and mental health issues. 2 out of the 3 young people interviewed reported mental health issues[1] and many young people were excluded from housing solutions. Only 1% of the national COVID-19 economic policy responses were so far addressing youth. Many experts fear a long-lasting effects of this crisis if recovery policies for young people are not introduced. Despite these alarming trends, the European Commission representative, Max Uebe, mentioned that this trend is going to be reversed since member states are obliged to allocate more support to youth policies if they wish to benefit from the European Structural Funds or the Reinforced Youth Guarantee (if their NEETS rate is above 12,5%). As such, the RRF funds should cover support for young people and children. The European Alliance for Apprenticeships was reinforced and the EU Skills Agenda was recently revised for quality employment and skills so that young people could benefit from the recovery funds kicking in.

As such, the second panel of the CESI Youth at #EYE2021 focused on finding answers to these challenges young people face. There was a general consensus that young people should improve their civic and political advocacy and that they should claim better access to political decision making, quality jobs and to fight for mental health support. Brando Benifei, member of the European Parliament, mentioned that ‘we need to fight the culture of exploitation of young people; we see it too often that for many people it is acceptable to not pay young people properly’ for this reason unpaid internships and precarious work contracts should be prevented. Matthäus Fandrejewski, CESI Youth Representative, advocated in favour of securing better, more inclusive policies for youth as part of the national recovery plans and for giving young people more access to social and political platforms to make their voice heard: ‘Bringing Youth Back on Track is the only way EU’s future can be guaranteed! EU must take care of its next generation.’

The video recollection of the event, as portrayed by a visual story teller, could be visualised here and the whole event is available below:

Dear members, colleagues, friends and partners of CESI,

This week, we organised a high-level conference for ‘a strong European public service agenda’, which was one of the highlights of our slowly ending ‘PULSER’ project.

CESI has been advocating for well-performing public services for many, many years, if not decades; in the interest of citizens, workers, the economy and the overall societal well-being and resilience.

And looking back at two decades of crises (9/11, the 2008 financial crisis, the 2010 European debt crisis, the 2015 refugee migration challenges, the 2015/2016 terrorist attacks, the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, and not least the dramatic increase in natural disasters), it has been established hat countries with efficient and strong public services are more resilient.

In this sense, the – hopefully – slowly dying away COVID-19 pandemic also offers a chance, “an unexpected and unique opportunity”, as the recently published EPC study ’Well-performing public services for a fair and resilient society’, concluded. The opportunity to put public services at the core again of national and the EU’s agendas.

Public services and their performance will be decisive in preparing for future pandemics and other crises which will surely come, they will prove crucial in tackling the economic and social fallout of COVID-19 which will be felt for many years to come, they will be vital in ensuring and implementing social rights and principles for many citizens, families and workers.

We will need more (smart) investment in public services – in the equipment, in facilities and human capital. And as the EPC study put it: “We will have to design and reform public services in the spirit of providing the best social results and service resilience, and not the most cost-effective outcome.”

Yet there is a certain likelihood that, in the aftermath of COVID-19, spending for (and especially investments in) public services will be cut down. The new mantra of governments being that fiscal buffers for next crises are to be rebuilt.

And here we come back to our experiences from the past ones: Had we invested more in public services and its staff in the years before the pandemic, the damages of Covid would not have been as extensive – with less lives lost and less to be repaired. It would have been the far cheaper and less painful option.

In 2016, Eurodiaconia, Social Platform and CESI had argued in a joint discussion paper: “Economies with a higher degree of investments have shown to be more resilient to shocks and perform better in crises.” So yes, we believe that cuts in (smart) investments now will mean tragedies and losses in the future during the next crisis (of yet unknown nature).

It is not without a certain irony that these findings are painfully corroborated by this week’s revelation by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) of the so-called ‘Pandora-Papers’, demonstrating yet again how the very rich manage to avoid taxes in enormous scales. Such losses, estimated at trillions of dollars, are losses for the society, for us citizens and workers, for our and the next generations. “The ability to hide money has a direct impact on your life. It affects your child’s access to education, access to health, access to a home”, Lakshmi Kumar, the Global Financial Integrity Policy Director, underlined this week.

In 2018, the President of the German Tax Association (Deutsch Steuergewerkschaft), Thomas Eigenthaler, coined the famous phrase: “We are hunting Ferraris with bicycles”.

Avoiding such losses requires investment, now and in the future. Investment in infrastructure, in equipment, in human capital, and in human resources. But also, investment in working conditions, pay and recognition of the public services’ workforce.

Not for the sake of it. For our and the next generation’s common public value.

A conversation with Miguel Borra Izquierdo, President of the Spanish Central Independent and Public Employees’ Trade Union (CSIF).

CSIF represents independent private sector workers and public administration staff, predominately in the areas of central administration, local government, postal and health services, education, and law enforcement.

#CESItalks is a series of conversations with MEPs and EP officials/experts on social and employment policies. It is part of a project co-financed by the European Parliament: “WeEP – The EP and workers: a well-designed post-pandemic recovery plan.”

The project wants to raise citizens’ and workers’ awareness of the role of the European Union – and of the European Parliament in particular – in the design of social standards.

Against the background of the post-Covid recovery and the heralded digital and green transitions, social and employment policies are more than ever of major relevance.

More info: https://www.cesi.org/posts/weep-the-ep-and-workers-a-well-designed-post-covid19-recovery-plan/

A conversation with Radka Maxová, MEP, on the EU initiatives for the protection of the environment and the importance of the EU ‘Environment Action Programme to 2030’.

#CESItalks is a series of conversations with MEPs and EP officials/experts on social and employment policies. It is part of a project co-financed by the European Parliament: “WeEP – The EP and workers: a well-designed post-pandemic recovery plan.”

The project wants to raise citizens’ and workers’ awareness of the role of the European Union – and of the European Parliament in particular – in the design of social standards.

Against the background of the post-Covid recovery and the heralded digital and green transitions, social and employment policies are more than ever of major relevance.

More info: https://www.cesi.org/posts/weep-the-ep-and-workers-a-well-designed-post-covid19-recovery-plan/

#CESItalks

A conversation with Petros Fassoulas, SG of the European Movement International (EMI), on the Conference on the Future of Europe and the social dimension of the policies that will shape our common future.

#CESItalks is a series of conversations with MEPs and EP officials/experts on social and employment policies. It is part of a project co-financed by the European Parliament: “WeEP – The EP and workers: a well-designed post-pandemic recovery plan.”

The project wants to raise citizens’ and workers’ awareness of the role of the European Union – and of the European Parliament in particular – in the design of social standards.

Against the background of the post-Covid recovery and the heralded digital and green transitions, social and employment policies are more than ever of major relevance.

More info: https://www.cesi.org/posts/weep-the-ep-and-workers-a-well-designed-post-covid19-recovery-plan/

#CESItalks

A conversation with Prof. Paul Schoukens on the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan, the legal framework of the EU social security coordination and the contribution of digital tools in the coordination mechanisms.

#CESItalks is a series of conversations with MEPs and EP officials/experts on social and employment policies. It is part of a project co-financed by the European Parliament: “WeEP – The EP and workers: a well-designed post-pandemic recovery plan.”

The project wants to raise citizens’ and workers’ awareness of the role of the European Union – and of the European Parliament in particular – in the design of social standards.

Against the background of the post-Covid recovery and the heralded digital and green transitions, social and employment policies are more than ever of major relevance.

More info: https://www.cesi.org/posts/weep-the-ep-and-workers-a-well-designed-post-covid19-recovery-plan/

#CESItalks

The pandemic has had dramatic impacts on almost every aspect of the world of work. It highlighted the challenges that a large part of the working population is experiencing nowadays and triggered new risks for many types of workers.

On the occasion of the World Day for Decent Work, CESI demands the realization of the fundamental principles that are inherent in the European Pillar of Social Rights, the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, the European Social Charter and the Community Charter of the Fundamental Social Rights of Workers and calls for:

• Safe and health working conditions
• Fair wages that can guarantee decent living standards
• Equal opportunities for all workers without distinction of any kind, and particularly, equal pay for equal work
• Adequate social protection irrespective of the employment status
• Reasonable limitation of working hours and holidays with pay
• Advanced security in flexible forms of work
• Effective representation by trade unions

CESI Secretary General Klaus Heeger said: ‘It is a privilege for the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions to fight for decent work every single day. Today, trade unions all over the world and their allies are united in demanding collective agreements and employment contracts guaranteeing decent pay, equal occupational opportunities, social protection and occupational health and safety for every worker.’

He added: ‘To secure decent work for everybody, – including the growing category of non-standard workers-, we need to act now and adopt an inclusive approach that leaves no one behind.’

On October 5, CESI held a timely conference, co-funded by the European Union and in partnership with the European Policy Centre, on the role of public services in building a more resilient and socially fair Europe after the Covid pandemic.

The Covid pandemic once again showed how societies depend on the efficiency of public services and reminded everyone of the value of long-term planning and crisis preparedness of the public sector. Public services care, protect and deliver. They determine whether societies are sustainable, protect the most vulnerable members of our societies and economies, and contribute to the improvement of citizens’ economic prosperity and well-being. And as for Europe, public services are a key for the realisation and implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights.

European Youth Event #EYE2021

CESI Youth panel on ‘EU Resilience and Recovery Policies:

Bringing Youth Employment Back on Track’

8 October 2021｜online｜10 – 12 o’ clock

Young people have suffered greatly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Social isolation from friends, students and colleagues, limited access to online education, and other forms of social exclusion have led to serious mental health threats. In addition, career perspectives are dire. Smooth transitions to work have been (in some cases permanently) hampered, and the (re)integration of the young into the labour market will be a major challenge.

On the occasion the European Youth Event 2021 (#EYE2021), CESI Youth aims to bring the interests of its young members in particular and of youth in general into the spotlight. Does the Recovery and Resilience Facility, the EU’s main response to the devastating economic impacts of the pandemic, specifically address the needs of the young? What could be done at national level to provide sufficient investments in the Child Guarantee and Youth Guarantee in order to equip young people with optimal starts into their lives, education and careers? Which type of action at which regulatory level can address the most pressing issues for young people in the aftermath of the pandemic as part of the recovery policies – the EU, national governments, social partners or trade unions?

During a two-hour online panel and with the participation of key members of the European Parliament (MEPs), youth representatives and decision-makers, CESI Youth wishes to collect and formulate clear recommendations on how to revert the worrying youth unemployment trends, provide more investments in education-to-work transitions, address adverse mental health threats, and extend social protection baskets to more young people.

‘Bringing Youth Back on Track’ is the only way EU’s future can be guaranteed! EU must take care of its next generation.

AGENDA

09:50 – 10:00

Warm-up session: Log-in & youth video testimonials

10:00 – 10:05

Opening – Matthäus Fandrejewski – CESI Youth Representative

10:05 – 10:15

Keynote address – Max Uebe – Head of Unit, Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion at the European Commission

Session 1: The current challenges of the young – Access to employment, education, healthcare, social protection and housing – Impacts on mental health

Moderation: Cora Stalph

10:15 – 10:20

María Rodríguez Alcázar – European Youth Forum

10:20 – 10:30 Sarah Coupechoux – Abbe Pierre Foundation

10:30 – 10:40Yasmine Ouirhrane – Founder of We Belong10:40 – 10:50Eszter Sandor – Eurofound

10:50 – 11:00

Gregor Greif – Slovenian Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, Directorate for Labour Market and Employment

11:00 – 11:10Open discussion with the participants

What conclusions can we draw and what solutions do we propose?

Session 2: Can the Recovery and Resilience Facility and further EU tools bring answers to these challenges? – Open discussion & sharing of best practices

Moderation: Cora Stalph

11:10 – 11:20

Brando Benifei – Member of the European Parliament11:20 – 11:30Jana Degrott– Local Councillor at Grand Dutchy of Luxembourg

11:30 – 11:40

National responses to the youth challenges – Discussion and/or videos on best practices

11:40

Closing remarks on securing better, more inclusive policies for youth

Matthäus Fandrejewski – CESI Youth Representative

Please find here the link to the registration form for the online event.

Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/538584153870543

Hasthtags: #EYE2021 #youthinclusion #noprecariouswork

A conversation with Mr. Radan Kanev, MEP, on the EU Action Plan on the Implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights, the right to health, and the new role of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

#CESItalks is a series of conversations with MEPs and EP officials/experts on social and employment policies. It is part of a project co-financed by the European Parliament: “WeEP – The EP and workers: a well-designed post-pandemic recovery plan.”

The project wants to raise citizens’ and workers’ awareness of the role of the European Union – and of the European Parliament in particular – in the design of social standards.

Against the background of the post-Covid recovery and the heralded digital and green transitions, social and employment policies are more than ever of major relevance.

More info: https://www.cesi.org/posts/weep-the-ep-and-workers-a-well-designed-post-covid19-recovery-plan/

#CESItalks

As the International Consortium for Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) and its partners have revealed, by means of the Pandora Papers, yet another proof of large-scale tax avoidance by some of the richest and most privileged individuals around the world, it becomes apparent that the EU, too, needs to reinforce its efforts for fair taxation.

On September 29, CESI´s Expert Commission ‘Health’ gathered online, representing many CESI trade unions from the healthcare sector.

On this constituent meeting, Esther Reyes (SATSE, Spain) was elected as President; Anneke Westerlaken (CNV Connectief, the Netherlands) and Giovanni Recchia (FIALS – CONFSAL, Italy) as vice-presidents.

Major concerns were raised during the meeting. The pressure on healthcare workers during the pandemic was unbearable – and has remained unproportionally high since then. Nurses and doctors face understaffing, exorbitant working hours, insufficient breaks and holidays, lack of equipment and infrastructure, moderate renumeration. Added to this comes the lack of recognition in many cases.

President Esther Reyes made it very clear: ‘The severe physical and mental consequences lead more and more healthcare workers to abandon their jobs, to leave the healthcare sector, and – in some particularly vulnerable states- to even turn their back to their home countries. The perspectives of a continuous lack of sufficient human and financial resources in the sector will make it difficult or even impossible to face these challenges.’

The trade union representatives from different member states and neighbouring countries voiced sharp criticism regarding the working conditions in their respective healthcare sector. And solutions on how to address them were presented.

Paloma Repila Arenas (SATSE, Spain) emphasized the role of trade unionism, collective bargaining and social dialogue in framing national responses to crisis prevention or management: ‘Individually we are one drop, together we are an ocean!’, she concluded. And Anneke Westerlaken (CNV Connectief, the Netherlands), who presented the impact of staff shortages and who gave examples for actions to fairly reward and esteem healthcare workers and their qualities, concluded: ‘We must invest in our healthcare workers – to retain them!’

Experts from the European Commission and the European Parliament outlined the different possible responses at EU level. Among them, European Commission representative Maya Matthews pointed at the different measures which have been taken by the EU as a response to the pandemic. She concluded however that more will be needed to build resilient health systems at EU level: ‘For the moment we plan for now. But we should be planning for the future.’

Klaus Heeger, CESI’s Secretary-General, closed the meeting by advocating in favour of making healthcare one of the main priorities of the European Commission in the years to come: ‘Let us learn from this pandemic and let’s not repeat the mistakes of the past. Healthcare is an essential pillar of our societies and its workforce should be treated accordingly.’

A conversation with Mr. Cyrus Engerer, MEP, on OSH risks and the EU Opinion on the protection of workers from asbestos.

#CESItalks is a series of conversations with MEPs and EP officials/experts on social and employment policies. It is part of a project co-financed by the European Parliament: “WeEP – The EP and workers: a well-designed post-pandemic recovery plan.”

The project wants to raise citizens’ and workers’ awareness of the role of the European Union – and of the European Parliament in particular – in the design of social standards.

Against the background of the post-Covid recovery and the heralded digital and green transitions, social and employment policies are more than ever of major relevance.

More info: https://www.cesi.org/posts/weep-the-ep-and-workers-a-well-designed-post-covid19-recovery-plan/

#CESItalks

We just concluded the national meeting in Hungary under the CESI DiWork project with MKKSZ – Hungarian Civil Servants and Public Employees Trade Union.

During the meeting we discussed the European strategy: “A Europe fit for the digital age, empowering people with a new generation of technologies”, the impact of digitalisation, required competencies, work-life balance and the need of digital tools for the administrations.

More about DiWork – Digitalising public services: Making it work for citizens, business and workers: https://lnkd.in/dFrbQue4

According to CESI, successful education systems in which more students excel also require adequate investments in facilities, equipment and resources as well as, in many cases, better employment & working conditions and training & further training for teachers and educational staff.

CESI Secretary General Klaus Heeger said: “No quality education without quality framework conditions for teachers! Excellent education for students requires excellent support for teachers in the first place. Moreover, the involvement of educational staff and teachers in new measures and processes to improve education and training is key. Without their ownership and inclusion, new concepts cannot be successful. Their interests and needs as well as their constructive ideas and feedback needs to be heard and taken on board. I hope that the European Commission’s forthcoming proposal for a Council Recommendation will sufficiently reflect this notion.”

Further information about the European Commission’s consultation and related policy initiative for a Council Recommendation is available here.

CESI’s full priorities for quality education through investments in the teaching profession can be accessed in CESI’s recent Manifesto for the Teaching Profession.

A conversation with Mr. Tiemo Wölken, MEP, on the EU environmental policies, the forest fires in the Mediterranean and the need for a green and social Europe.

#CESItalks is a series of conversations with MEPs and EP officials/experts on social and employment policies. It is part of a project co-financed by the European Parliament: “WeEP – The EP and workers: a well-designed post-pandemic recovery plan.”

The project wants to raise citizens’ and workers’ awareness of the role of the European Union – and of the European Parliament in particular – in the design of social standards.

Against the background of the post-Covid recovery and the heralded digital and green transitions, social and employment policies are more than ever of major relevance.

More info: https://www.cesi.org/posts/weep-the-ep-and-workers-a-well-designed-post-covid19-recovery-plan/

#CESItalks

In a recent resolution on the prevention of violence against women, CESI had expressed deep concern about the continued prevalence of harassment and violence against women in Europe and called for decisive measures for their protection. The resolution states that the pandemic has caused disproportional adverse consequences for women and further deteriorated equality challenges which women had been facing already long before the Covid-19 crisis.

Committed to the promotion of policies that can ensure the dignity and safety of women, CESI also participated in a recent consultation of the European Commission on gender based violence and harassment and shared its priorities on the topic.

Last week, CESI and its members had the opportunity to attend a timely online conversation on the topic in the frame of an EU co-funded multi-sectoral European social partner project on “The role of social partners in preventing third-party violence and harassment at work”, which counts also CESI among the partners in the project Chaired by the CEMR (Council of European Municipalities and Regions), a 2^nd webinar of the TPV project aimed to understand gender-based violence and its impact on workers in depth, present possible prevention measures, and discuss the potential update of the European Multi-sectoral Guidelines to tackle third-party violence and harassment related to work, signed by CESI in 2018.

Manuela Tomei, Director of the Work Quality Department at the International Labour Organization, Karen Vandekerckhove, Head of Unit of Gender Equality at the European Commission, and Jane Pillinger, researcher of the TPV project, presented the international and European dimension of the issue and discussed with members and representatives of trade unions and employer organizations on possible solutions to end third party violence against women. In particular, the discussion focussed around the negative spill over effects on work caused by violence on workers, and especially by domestic violence, which affects women in great proportion, even on a greater proportion in the context of the Covid-19 and lockdown period.

Against this background, the representative of the European Commission informed about an upcoming proposal for a Directive on gender-based violence and domestic violence, as part of a bigger package, due to be presented by the end of this year.

For CESI, this is a way of continuing the awareness-raising action on the topic started with its own project on third-party violence at work carried out between 2019 and 2020, in particular through the related #NOVIOLENCEATWORK campaign based on a video and manifesto against third-party violence at work.

About the multi sectoral European social partner project

“The role of social partners in preventing third-party violence and harassment at work” is a joint project of HOSPEEM, EPSU, CEMR, CESI (co-applicants) and ETF, ETNO, ETUCE, EUPAE, UITP (associated organizations), co-funded by the European Commission, for the years 2021 to 2023.

The project aims to assess the effectiveness at the national level of the EU multi-sectoral social partners’ Guidelines to tackle and prevent third-party violence and harassment related to work (2010), which CESI signed in 2018, as part of the TUNED delegation, for the central government administrations’ sector. It will identify areas for improvements and explore possibilities for reviewing the Guidelines’ content and nature considering recent legislative developments and the ILO Convention 190 on Violence and Harassment (2019). The final objective of the project is to become an awareness-raising tool on a gender-sensitive approach to third-party violence and harassment at the workplace.

A conversation with Mr. Manuel Pizarro, MEP, member of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) and the Committee on Fisheries (PECH), and rapporteur of the report on fishers for the future.

-What has the EU done so far to protect workers and their rights, especially during the pandemic?

-Which sectors and types of employment have been most affected by Covid-19 and how can we mitigate these consequences from now on?

-What is the EU doing for the employment in coastal communities and how can we attract new workers to the fishing industry?

#CESItalks is a series of conversations with MEPs and EP officials/experts on social and employment policies. It is part of a project co-financed by the European Parliament: “WeEP – The EP and workers: a well-designed post-pandemic recovery plan.”

The project wants to raise citizens’ and workers’ awareness of the role of the European Union – and of the European Parliament in particular – in the design of social standards.

Against the background of the post-Covid recovery and the heralded digital and green transitions, social and employment policies are more than ever of major relevance.

More info: https://www.cesi.org/posts/weep-the-ep-and-workers-a-well-designed-post-covid19-recovery-plan/

#CESItalks

A conversation with Ms. Monika Kiss on the demographic situation in the EU and the impact on employment and workers.

-Which are the most recent developments and trends in the demographic situation of the EU?

-How do these trends influence the labour markets of the Member States?

-What should the EU do to mitigate the consequences of the demographic changes and protect the world of work?

#CESItalks is a series of conversations with MEPs and EP officials/experts on social and employment policies. It is part of a project co-financed by the European Parliament: “WeEP – The EP and workers: a well-designed post-pandemic recovery plan.”

The project wants to raise citizens’ and workers’ awareness of the role of the European Union – and of the European Parliament in particular – in the design of social standards.

Against the background of the post-Covid recovery and the heralded digital and green transitions, social and employment policies are more than ever of major relevance.

More info: https://www.cesi.org/posts/weep-the-ep-and-workers-a-well-designed-post-covid19-recovery-plan/

#CESItalks

A conversation with Alain Laratta, Secretary General of the French firefighters union ‘Avenir Secours’, on climate change, natural disasters, and the need for a European approach to firefighting.

#CESItalks is a series of conversations with MEPs and EP officials/experts on social and employment policies. It is part of a project co-financed by the European Parliament: “WeEP – The EP and workers: a well-designed post-pandemic recovery plan.”

The project wants to raise citizens’ and workers’ awareness of the role of the European Union – and of the European Parliament in particular – in the design of social standards.

Against the background of the post-Covid recovery and the heralded digital and green transitions, social and employment policies are more than ever of major relevance.

More info: https://www.cesi.org/posts/weep-the-ep-and-workers-a-well-designed-post-covid19-recovery-plan/

#WeEP #CESItalks #AllWorkersCount

On September 23, CESI held an online debate on trade union involvement in the governance of the EU’s Corona Recovery and Resilience Facility (RFF) and the implementation of its national plans in the Member States.

More specifically, the event aimed to discuss the main aspects of the RRF and the national plans of the Member States, assess their scope in the area of employment and social affairs, and find ways for an effective and encompassing representation and engagement of workers and their representatives in governance processes of the RRF.

To this end, trade union experts and policy makers met online to share their views on issues such as: Which are the key elements of the Recovery and Resilience Facility? Do the recovery programmes reflect a fair proportion between the economic, digital, green and social? Which is the social dimension of the plans? What should European workers and citizens expect from now on and how can they be involved in the designing of the national plans? And what is the role of trade unions in the drafting and implementation of the national plans and how can they ensure the worker-cantered character of the plans?

Maria Teresa Fabregas Fernandez, Director of the European Commission’s Recovery and Resilience Task Force, following a presentation of the state of play of the execution of the RRF, exchanged with CESI members in depth to find ways for a more inclusive governance of the RRF and better opportunities for participation especially of smaller and independent trade union organisations in the implementation of the RRF and the national plans.

Roberto Di Maulo, Secretary General of the Italian Confsal-Fismic trade union and Vice-President of CESI, described the Italian national plan in detail and shared his thoughts on how the reforms can benefit Italy recover from the Covid pandemic. He also explained the role of Italian trade unions like Confsal-Fismic in the development of the national plan strategy, noting that some participation was possible.

In the same vein, Klaus Heeger, Secretary General of CESI, praised the role of trade unions and worker representatives in RRF governance processes and focused on the need to give an even reinforced voice to those who have been hit most by the Corona crisis. It was noted that workers and their representatives were generally heard in the RRF development processes but this to varying degrees at the national levels: Some Member States were front-runners while others only had only allowed relatively little participation in the preparation of their national plans – A task for change for policy makers, institutions and authorities during the execution phase.

CESI plans to hold further debates on the RRF in December in the framework of its ‘Winter Days’ event with a view to evaluating in greater detail its perspectives for citizens and workers.

We just concluded the national meeting in Montenegro under the CESI DiWork project with Sindikat doktora medicine Crne Gore – Montenegrin Trade Union of Physicians.

During the meeting we discussed the European strategy: “A Europe fit for the digital age, empowering people with a new generation of technologies”, the impact of digitalisation, required competencies, work-life balance and the need of digital tools for physicians.

More about DiWork – Digitalising public services: Making it work for citizens, business and workers: https://lnkd.in/dFrbQue4

According to CESI, the following priorities should be considered by an EU policy measure:

• To provide platform workers with adequate protection, four targets are crucial: a precise and fair classification of the type of work and employment, access to adequate social protection, the provision of decent working conditions, and access to information to reduce the information asymmetry between the platform and the worker. In particular, the establishment of new rights related to algorithmic management is a prerequisite for fair working conditions including in the platform economy.
• An EU initiative must cover all people working through platforms, irrespective of their employment status.
• An EU initiative should be based on a (rebuttable) legal presumption that assumes that if platform work involves the provision of services, then the person providing the services is a regular employee.
• Regarding cross-border challenges for national administrations to verify the compliance by (transnational) platforms with existing laws and their enforcement, CESI agrees with measures to facilitate the work of the public services to ensure decent work also across borders. However, CESI believes that the most crucial challenge in this field is the enforcement and control of these policies. To ensure the enforcement, sufficient numbers of staff and adequate resources of the inspecting and controlling authorities are required, as well as further training for the concerned personnel.
• Concerning collective representation and social dialogue in the platform economy, EU action should be mainly focused on two targets: To support the representation of platform workers through the development of digital communication fora embedded in the platforms, accessible to both workers and trade unions, and to remove obstacles to the collective bargaining of the self-employed.
• In the absence of a strong and ambitious social partner agreement, to provide certainty and create binding effects, an EU initiative must take the form of a directive that will lay down binding minimum standards for all Member States. It is essential that the directive covers the whole range of platform work, without leaving anyone outside the scope of the initiative.

CESI’s full contribution is available here.

We just concluded the national meeting in Poland under the CESI DiWork project with WZZ – FO, Polish Free Trade Union “Forum – Education”.

During the meeting we discussed the European strategy: “A Europe fit for the digital age, empowering people with a new generation of technologies”, the impact of digitalisation, required competencies, work-life balance and the need of digital tools for teachers.

More about DiWork – Digitalising public services: Making it work for citizens, business and workers: https://lnkd.in/dFrbQue4

CESI Secretary General Klaus Heeger said: “It is undoubtedly an achievement of Ms von der Leyen and her team and staff in the European Commission services that the EU stood together especially in terms of vaccine procuration, Covid recovery measures and CO2 emission targets. Of course, the EU still faces challenges that need to be addressed urgently, above all measures to secure the rule of law, the freedom of the media, trade unions and civil society, as well as our understanding of liberal democracies as such. Today however, the EU is not imploding or disintegrating, as has been tangibly feared still one year ago. With its Green Deal, it even drives the objective to become the world’s most climate-friendly continent. And after a bumpy start, the EU has delivered Covid vaccines as promised and fights the fallout of the pandemic with the unprecedented Recovery and Resilience Facility – a very strong signal of European solidarity in the EU and among the Member States. We should all appreciate these achievements and not underestimate them. We only need to think of where we were standing 12 or 18 months ago.”

He added: “Unfortunately, decent work as well as the central role of well-equipped and staffed public administrations to secure resilient societies and provide essential services especially to the most vulnerable members of the society have not been mentioned. The words ‘social’ and ‘worker’ are almost absent in her speech; ‘employment’ and ‘public service’ are not mentioned at all. The Green Deal is to be implemented in a socially fair manner, but what we need is a stand-along social agenda for more fairness, decent jobs and social protection for workers and citizens. We also need adequate resources, equipment, facilities and personnel for the public services. The Covid pandemic has taught once again that crises inevitably occur even if we do not know when exactly and which form they will take – and that public services need to be ready to help fight them. This requires more investments in the Member States, which the European Commission should encourage much more.”

Dear members, colleagues, friends and partners of CESI,

As the summer comes to an end, we are carefully, yet determinedly, striving back to work in our offices. As of September, all the colleagues of the CESI-Secretariat will be asked to work two days per week in the office, and, provided the epidemiological situation allows it, three days as of January 2022.

We all experienced in the past 18 months a shift of our ways to work and to cooperate, and I believe that, altogether, we managed well. Now we must find the best way of how to pursue from where we are.

The first events planned shall remain pure online meetings – for instance the expert commissions ‘Defence’, ‘Health’ and ‘Public Administrations’, the commissions ‘Employment and Social Affairs’ and ‘Women’s Rights and Gender Equality’, as well as our working groups on the ‘Future of Work’ and on the ‘Implementation of the Pillar of Social Rights’ in September or October.

Gradually, if the epidemiological situation allows it, we are aiming at moving to mixed ‘physical’ or fully ‘in situ’ events thereafter. For instance, our conference ‘A Strong Public Service Agenda’, which will take place on the 5^th of October, is planned as a mixed event. Our Board meeting and our ‘Winter Days’ however, foreseen for the 2-3 December, shall, if possible, then be fully physical in Brussels.

The same applies to the activities of CESI Youth: Whereas the workshop of the CESI Youth at the European Youth Event (EYE) of the European Parliament in October will take place online, the CESI Youth Congress in December will host young delegates in our conference room in Brussels – once again, should the Covid-19 situation allow it.

At the same time, we will continue to encourage our commissions and expert commissions to launch own campaigns, events, or other projects. We very much welcome that, in this sense, the Expert Commission ‘Defence’ will organise a so-called ‘European Defence Round Table’ on September 17, that the Expert Commission ‘Public Administrations’ has initiated a campaign for a ‘European Public Service Agenda’, and that the Expert Commission ‘Post & Telecommunications’ will host a conference in Vienna on December 14 on the impact of Cofivid-19 on the sector. Altogether, these are very promising developments, and of course, everyone can count on the dedicated support from our Secretariat.

Meanwhile, our Academy projects ‘PULSER’ on the European Pillar of Social Rights, ‘DiWork’ on digitalisation processes in employment and ‘WeEP’ on communicating Europe to our members will continue to run throughout autumn, providing many good opportunities for ‘in situ’ or online encounters.

I said this repeatedly in the past (and certainly even more often during the pandemic): Our success depends on us, on the ways we cooperate, on the level of confidence we put in each other, and not least on our mutual trust.

Since direct contacts among ourselves have been hampered for now almost 18 months, this ‘human factor’ had to find its way through different tools and channels, mainly through digital meetings. Today, I am very grateful to express my impression that this cooperation, trust and confidence appear to have remained unbroken – maybe the ties are even stronger than before.

All of this would not have been possible without your help, and I would therefore like to extend my sincerest thanks to all those of you who have actively participated in CESI’s work especially in these difficult times: the member organisations, the mandate holders and, last but not least, the staff at the General Secretariat.

On September 2, 2021, the Court of Justice of the European Union issued its verdict on the implementation of the 2015 EU social partners agreement on information and consultation of workers in central administrations dismissing the appeal of the European Public Service Union (EPSU) against the Court of First Instance. The case (C-928/19P) concerned the refusal by the European Commission to submit to the Council a proposal for a decision implementing the agreement signed by TUNED (CESI and EPSU) and the employers’ platform EUPAE.

Alain Laratta, Secretary General of the French fire-fighters trade union ‘Avenir Secours’: ‘In order to efficiently fight forest fires across the continent, and amid climate change and extreme weather conditions, we need to build a European and even a global approach to firefighting’.

We just concluded the first national meeting under the CESI DiWork project with CGFP and ZV.

According to the European Commission, the objective of the Digital Principles is to “inform users and to guide policymakers and digital operators in order for Europeans to fully benefit from their digital citizenship”.

In the context of a consultation of the European Commission, CESI Secretary General Klaus Heeger welcomed the initiative of the European Commission but also insisted that Principles for fair digital labour markets, employment and working conditions should not be missing: “While the Digital Principles cover a broad range of issues, including universal access to digital educatio, health and further public services as well as protection of consumers in the online space, the needs of workers should also be included.”

He added: “The Digital Principles must also state that workers should enjoy data privacy and protection from inadequate digital control at work and at telework, and that digitalisation processes and potential data collection – both in private sector companies and public services
and administration – must be developed and implemented only in collaboration with trade unions, worker representatives and social partners.

As part of a consultation by the European Commission on priorities, strategic orientations and needs of the EU4Health Programme, the EU’s flagship funding programme for health-related capactiy building, CESI reiterated the particular need to address an increasingly unbalanced distribution of health care professionals across the EU and its neighbouring countries and to take steps to encourage patient-staff quotas in the Member States.

CESI Secretary General Klaus Heeger said: “While there is already a shortage of health care professionals in most EU Member States in any way, the situation is all the more dramatic in less advantaged regions and EU neighbouring states such as the Balkan countries, where a real brain drain towads the EU probes already underfinanced health care systems. The EU needs to do more to address push and pull factors for health care staff in less developed and neighbouring regions of the EU, including through its EU4Health Programme, in order to encourage a more balanced geographical distribution of health care staff on the European continent.”

He added: “Next to a more balanced distribution of healthcare professionals, it is also key to raise the absolute number of staff in the sector, as there is a shortage almost in every country and every professional function in the sector. This requires measures for a better public perception of health professions, better pay for instance for nurses, and improved working and employment conditions across the board. Work in the sector needs to become more attractive. Additionally, Member States should pursue an ambitious patient-staff quota so that staff numbers are raised to levels that allow for quality healthcare provision everywhere. This requires significant expenditure, but not least the Covid crisis has shown that this is an investment that pays off multiple times: For workers in terms of less stress, illness, and absenteeism, subsequently for patients in terms of less morbidity and mortality due to better care, and for the sustainability of public finance and public health systems because a healthier citizenry and workforce produces better in economic terms and contributes more to social welfare than an ill population. The EU4Health Programme should foresee capacity building in this respect.”

For further information about the need for measures against a brain drain in the health care sector and for patient-staff quotas in the Member States, see also CESI’s recent position paper on the topic.

Shell entities – which can take the form of the better known, so-called ‘letterbox companies’ – are ‘firms’ without any real economic activity, employees or physical presence in the registered country that are often set up solely to take advantage of tax avoidance possibilities. As part of an initiative to take to draw up new rules in the EU to combat the abusive use of shell entities, the European Commission asked stakeholders and social partners to provide data and evidence on the rationale and functioning of such structures.

As a European trade union umbrella organisation representing more than 5 million workers across Europe, CESI welcomed this initiative as a tool to also increase social fairness. CESI Secretary General Klaus Heeger said: “If workers pay income taxes while firms shift profits and avoid taxes by means of shell entities, then this is highly unfair. Moreover, we live in times where public services need adequate financial resources to coordiante or master multiple challenges – from the Covid pandemic to anti-terrorism, climate change and digitalisation – and they need to be able to perform high quality essential services for the most vulnerable members of our society, who depend on them. Profit-making companies should not be exempted from contributing to this, and loopholes for tax evasion should be closed.”

As a trade union organisation also representing tax administration unions, CESI calls on the European Commission to address, most notably:

• insufficient informaiton of tax admnistrations on potential tax avoidance structure.
• their insufficient capacity to process available information on such structures.
• loopholes in legislation as well as insufficient enforcement of existing rules in the Member States.

To this end, according to CESI, EU action should aim especially:

• to pomote effective implementation and enforcement of the existing anti-tax
  avoidance tools.
• to ensure coordination of all Member States on what qualifies as shell entity for tax purposes and how it should be treated in terms of taxation.
• to promote transparency on shell entities across the EU.
• to monitor the implementation by Member States of any new EU rules targeted at shell entities.

CESI Secretary General Klaus Heeger concluded: “As a member of the European Commission’s advisory Platform for Tax Good Governance, we have highlighted for long that any anti-tax avoidance rules and procedures will not work as long as tax administrations remain understaffed and without adequate resources. More investments in staff and equipment are dearly needed in many Member Statess. We all know that investments in tax administrations yield multiple returns. The EU should encourage this more actively for instance through the European Semester.”

In a conversation with CESI Secretary General Klaus Heeger as part of ‘CESI Insides’ interview series, Thomas Sohst, representative of the German Armed Forces Association (DBwV) and nominated President of CESI’s sectoral Expert Commission ‘Defence’, called for a careful assessment of developments in Afghanistan and a subsequent clear formulation of future objectives and corresponding framework conditions for a successful CSDP (Common Security and Defence Policy) including its lacking social dimension.

According to Thomas Sohst, it is still too early to answer the many open questions that have arisen now that the intervention of the international community in Afghanistan comes to a hasty close. “We should not draw lessons today but make a careful assessment of the intervention in Afghanistan during the last 20 years and map what has been achieved against what should have been achieved.” He added: “We must then establish how the EU should handle potential military interventions in the future: Next to military aspects, what are the cultural, religious, social and economic considerations that condition a successful intervention? What are the concrete objectives to achieve this and what are the framework conditions that the EU’s CSDP needs to put in place for this? In any case, the purposes of missions and the given mandates will have to be more carefully assessed and more precisely determined.”

Thomas Sohst put an emphasis on PESCO and the EU’s Strategic Compass as tools to establish where the CSDP should be heading and what the conditions of this will be. “If the EU wants more geostrategic influence, it needs to further develop PESCO and the Strategic Compass to have a clear vision about the potential and conditions of the CSDP in the world – including financial ones. ”

He stressed that the involvement of military staff and their unions will be of vital importance in this deliberation process. According to Thomas Sohst, the existing PESCO and currently debated Strategic Compass still lack a social dimension and constructive voice of unions which could play a vital role in reconciling the objectives of EU military interventions with the needs and interests that soldiers should be able to enjoy. To this end, he noted, “CESI’s new regular EU Defence Round tables represent a very useful initiative to make policy makers aware of lacking social aspects in EU defence policy.”

The full interview (in German) with Thomas Sohst is available here.

On many occasions, countries were not able to fend off the worst of the fires by themselves and had to rely on other countries to step in for help. Even if the forest fires in Southern Europe have been extraordinary and exceptional this season, the dramatic and traumatic consequences show: Next to immediate assistance to save lives, it is about helping affected citizens re-build their livelihoods and, certainly not least, preserving our forests – Long-term and preventative investments in performing fire brigades pay off!

CESI Secretary General Klaus Heeger said: “It lies in the nature of crises that they come over us unexpectedly. What we have however learnt in the past – from the financial crisis to terrorism, the Covid pandemic or the recent floodings in Germany and Belgium – is that they do inevitably occur. We do not know when or where exactly they break out and what form they will take, but we can be sure that they happen. And that many kinds of crises will occur more often due to climate change. So being prepared in advance is key.”

He added: “Public services are at the forefront to fight off crises of whatever nature. Performing administrations, police forces, health care staff and many further essential services are crucial to be prepared. Since public services are in high demand during crises, they need to stay performing and resilient all the time. That means they need to be well-staffed, well-equipped and well-resourced. This may seem expensive in normal times, but in the long term it is much cheaper than repairing the vast damages once they have occurred. This is what we had to experience painfully.”

On behalf of CESI and all its member organisations, Klaus Heeger also expressed his deepest gratitude to those fighting at the forefront.

The strikes have been criticised by the management of Deutsche Bahn for taking place at unwanted moments and causing nuisances for many that depend on rail transport or have planned to go on vacation by train.

The federal chairmen of the GDL and dbb, Claus Weselsky and Ulrich Silberbach, underlined that strikes are ultima ratio measures when company managements repeatedly fail to put forward adequate proposals for collective agreement – and it is in their nature that employers find them inappropriate. A strike which would remain unfelt and unnoticed would lose its meaning.

CESI Secretary General Klaus Heeger said: “The activities of the GDL – which go beyond collective action taken by the EVG that has traditionally been the majoritarian union in the German railway sector – reflect trade union pluralism and the legitimate freedom of choice for employees of the Deutsche Bahn to belong to that trade union which they believe will yield better results on their payrolls and for the working conditions. Trade union pluralism contributes to achieve more social fairness for all workers.”

For further information: https://dokumente.dbb.de/dokumente/geschaeftsbereich_tarif/2021/Flugblatt_Tarifkonflikt_DB_2021_Nr1_dbb.pdf

During the Covid-19 pandemic, citizens, companies and policy makers experienced painfully how vulnerable healthcare systems are to a sudden increase in the number of patients in need of acute care, and how dependent societies and economies are on a functioning health care system.

A conversation with Mr. Philippe Lamberts, MEP, about global taxation policies, the EU vaccination strategy, and the green transition.

#CESItalks is a series of conversations with MEPs and EP officials/experts on social and employment policies. It is part of a project co-financed by the European Parliament: “WeEP – The EP and workers: a well-designed post-pandemic recovery plan.”

The project wants to raise citizens’ and workers’ awareness of the role of the European Union – and of the European Parliament in particular – in the design of social standards.

Against the background of the post-Covid recovery and the heralded digital and green transitions, social and employment policies are more than ever of major relevance.

More info: https://www.cesi.org/posts/weep-the-ep-and-workers-a-well-designed-post-covid19-recovery-plan/

#CESItalks

A conversation with Mr. Konstantinos Arvanitis, MEP, on the impact of the pandemic on the world of work and the role of the European Union.

#CESItalks is a series of conversations with MEPs and EP officials/experts on social and employment policies. It is part of a project co-financed by the European Parliament: “WeEP – The EP and workers: a well-designed post-pandemic recovery plan.”

The project wants to raise citizens’ and workers’ awareness of the role of the European Union – and of the European Parliament in particular – in the design of social standards.

Against the background of the post-Covid recovery and the heralded digital and green transitions, social and employment policies are more than ever of major relevance.

More info: https://www.cesi.org/posts/weep-the-ep-and-workers-a-well-designed-post-covid19-recovery-plan/

#CESItalks

CESI Secretary General Klaus Heeger talks with Jaume Duch Guillot, Spokesman of the European Parliament and Director General for Communication, about the Conference on the Future of Europe, the role of the European Union in the protection of social rights, and the communication strategies of the European Parliament.

-Which is the importance of the Conference on the Future of Europe for European citizens?

-What are the biggest challenges for the EU in the coming years?

-What is the European Parliament doing to communicate its work to the citizens and which is the role of awareness-raising projects like CESI Talks?

#CESItalks is a series of conversations with MEPs and EP officials/experts on social and employment policies. It is part of a project co-financed by the European Parliament: “WeEP – The EP and workers: a well-designed post-pandemic recovery plan.”

The project wants to raise citizens’ and workers’ awareness of the role of the European Union – and of the European Parliament in particular – in the design of social standards.

Against the background of the post-Covid recovery and the heralded digital and green transitions, social and employment policies are more than ever of major relevance.

More info: https://www.cesi.org/posts/weep-the-ep-and-workers-a-well-designed-post-covid19-recovery-plan/

#CESItalks

In a recent resolution, CESI expresses deep concerns about the continued prevalence of harassment and violence against women, both in domestic and occupational life. The resolution specifies in particular:

• The Covid pandemic has meant disproportional adverse consequences for women and further aggravated equality challenges which women had been facing long before already. In particular, latest figures seem to confirm that domestic violence against women have increased significantly. Lockdowns to prevent the spread of Covid–19 trapped many women at home, being particular vulnerable to violence and abuse. Several countries saw spikes in domestic violence reports.
• Apart from violence being a blatant disrespect of fundamental human rights of women, it also impacts on their occupational life. Women who face violence, stress and anxiety at home are less likely to be able to properly focus on their jobs and career. Thereby domestic violence has a direct impact also on further deepened economic and financial inequalities.
• In Europe, this situation may be further aggravated by the announcement of the Turkish government in March 2021 to withdraw from the Council of Europe Istanbul Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, because it could give further incentives to governments of EU Member States to step out as well.

In this vein, CESI calls:

1. on the EU institutions and the Member States acting in the Council to make an new effort to finalise the accession of the EU to the Istanbul Convention.
2. on the European Commission, in case unanimity decision is required for this in the Council and that this is impossible to reach, to translate the essence of the Istanbul Convention into a proposal for an EU directive to be then adopted under the ordinary legislative procedure with qualified majority voting in the Council.
3. on the European Commission to fully implement the current EU Gender Equality strategy, in particular via the financing of topical research and data compilation by the European Gender Equality Institute (EIGE) as well as capacity–building and awareness–raising campaigns in relation to the fourth priority field on combating gender–based violence and protecting and supporting victims.

The full resolution is available here.

CESI Secretary General Klaus Heeger talks with Evelyn Regner, Chair of the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (#FEMM), about the Commission’s proposal for a Directive on pay transparency, the need for investments in the public sector, and the green and digital transition.

#CESItalks is a series of conversations with MEPs and EP officials/experts on social and employment policies. It is part of a project co-financed by the European Parliament: “WeEP – The EP and workers: a well-designed post-pandemic recovery plan.”

The project wants to raise citizens’ and workers’ awareness of the role of the European Union – and of the European Parliament in particular – in the design of social standards.

Against the background of the post-Covid recovery and the heralded digital and green transitions, social and employment policies are more than ever of major relevance.

More info: https://www.cesi.org/posts/weep-the-ep-and-workers-a-well-designed-post-covid19-recovery-plan/

#CESItalks

A conversation with Ms. Svenja Hahn, MEP, on the challenges in the field of artificial intelligence, the ethical aspects of artificial intelligence, robotics and related technologies, and the role of the European Union.

-Special Committee on Artificial Intelligence in a Digital Age (Member)

-Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (Member)

-Delegation for relations with the countries of Southeast Asia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Member)

-Committee on International Trade (Substitute)

-Delegation for relations with Australia and New Zealand (Substitute)

#CESItalks is a series of conversations with MEPs and EP officials/experts on social and employment policies. It is part of a project co-financed by the European Parliament: “WeEP – The EP and workers: a well-designed post-pandemic recovery plan.”

The project wants to raise citizens’ and workers’ awareness of the role of the European Union – and of the European Parliament in particular – in the design of social standards. Against the background of the post-Covid recovery and the heralded digital and green transitions, social and employment policies are more than ever of major relevance.

More info: https://www.cesi.org/posts/weep-the-ep-and-workers-a-well-designed-post-covid19-recovery-plan/

#CESItalks

A conversation with Ms. Lena Düpont, MEP and Patron of the EU VET network DUNE-BB-EU, on the impact of the pandemic on labour markets, the responses of the EU, and the importance of well-designed and top-performing VET policies.

#CESItalks is a series of conversations with MEPs and EP officials/experts on social and employment policies. It is part of a project co-financed by the European Parliament: “WeEP – The EP and workers: a well-designed post-pandemic recovery plan.”

The project wants to raise citizens’ and workers’ awareness of the role of the European Union – and of the European Parliament in particular – in the design of social standards.

Against the background of the post-Covid recovery and the heralded digital and green transitions, social and employment policies are more than ever of major relevance.

More info: https://www.cesi.org/posts/weep-the-ep-and-workers-a-well-designed-post-covid19-recovery-plan/

#CESItalks

CESI-Präsident Romain Wolff diskutiert mit Klaus Heeger, CESI-Generalsekretär, über die Konferenz zur Zukunft Europas und die Rolle der Sozialpartner.

#CESItalks

A conversation with Mr. Jordi Cañas, MEP, on the impact of the pandemic on the labor market, the role of the European Union, and the significance of the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan.

-Delegation to the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly (Vice-Chair)

-Committee on International Trade (Member)

-Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (Member)

-Delegation to the EU-Mexico Joint Parliamentary Committee (Member)

-Delegation for relations with Mercosur (Member) -Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (Substitute) -Committee on Petitions (Substitute)

#CESItalks is a series of conversations with MEPs and EP officials/experts on social and employment policies. It is part of a project co-financed by the European Parliament: “WeEP – The EP and workers: a well-designed post-pandemic recovery plan.”

The project wants to raise citizens’ and workers’ awareness of the role of the European Union – and of the European Parliament in particular – in the design of social standards.

Against the background of the post-Covid recovery and the heralded digital and green transitions, social and employment policies are more than ever of major relevance.

More info: https://www.cesi.org/posts/weep-the-ep-and-workers-a-well-designed-post-covid19-recovery-plan/

#CESItalks

Deploring the many victims of the heavy rainfalls and catastrophic flooding in Belgium, Germany, Austria and Switzerland among others, CESI bows down before the victims and expresses its deepest gratitude and respect to all those who saved, assisted and helped people in need.

CESI Secretary General Klaus Heeger said: ‘As I come from a region in Germany which was severely hit, I witnessed the situation on the spot last week-end. The pictures engraved in my mind are deeply oppressive. The dimension of the devastations and the losses is hard to convey. But what I will also remember are pictures of rescue, help, assistance and solidarity. Fire-fighters, police, ambulances, life saving associations, rescue and social services were literally everywhere. And besides all the grieving and mourning there is hope. Hope and deep gratitude.’

Scientists believe that climate disruption will bring more extreme weather events in the near future. Now more than ever, it is obvious that our communities need strong infrastructure to mitigate the impact of such events, as well as investment in emergency services. Next to long-term climate change prevention policies, we need a direct response, because the effects of climate change are already happening.

(Liège, July 2021, AFP)

On July 15th 2021, the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) issued a new ruling on the application of the EU Working Time Directive (2003/88/ EC) for security related activities in the armed forces (Case C-742/19).

The Slovenian Supreme Court referred the question to the ECJ on the issue of “whether ‘stand-by periods’ during which a member of military personnel is required to remain at the barracks to which he or she is posted, but does not perform actual work there, must be regarded as working time.”

The case concerned a non-commissioned officer in the Slovenian army, who performed uninterrupted ‘guard duty’ for seven days per month from February 2014 to July 2015. For his service, he received only a stand-by duty allowance amounting to 20% of his basic salary. In the legal proceedings, he claimed that he should have been paid for the hours of his ‘guard duty’, since he was obliged to remain available to his superiors at the barracks, away from his residence, family and social environment.

The ECJ ruling provided some (not necessarily new) guidance on the application of EU law and the Working Time Directive for representatives of armed forces:

1. National security remains the sole responsibility of each Member State.
2. However, in line with settled case-law, not all measures related to defence and to the organisation of the armed forces automatically render EU law inapplicable. Therefore, not all (activities of) members of the armed forces can per se and permanently be excluded from the scope of the Working Time Directive. An assessment of the specific activity in question and its relevance for the preservation of a state´s territorial integrity and the safeguard of its national security is needed. This will have to be determined by the national court.
3. The question or remuneration falls within national competence. Therefore, a member of military personnel who is required to remain at the barracks, but does not perform actual work there, could receive a different remuneration if this is foreseen by national law.

You can read the complete judgement here.