6 October 2023
On 2 and 3 October 2023, SGI Europe, together with the European Trade Union Confederation, was in Kyiv as part of a joint mission of the EU social partners in Ukraine.
Over the 2-day mission, SGI Europe and ETUC delegations met and exchanged views with Ukrainian social partners and officials to assess how EU social partners can best support Ukraine, how Ukrainian social partners’ can be involved in the EU accession process and the absorption of the EU social acquis. The mission also addressed, with partners on the ground, the specific areas of support and the expertise SGI Europe and the ETUC can provide to Ukrainian authorities and social partners.
SGI Europe and ETUC joint delegation have met with Mrs Yuliia Svyrydenko, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Economy (in charge of Social Dialogue), Mrs Daryna Marchak, First Deputy Minister for Social Policy, as well as members of the Ukraine Parliament’s Committees for Social Policy and for Ukraine integration to the EU.
On our side, the SGI Europe delegation (composed of Valeria Ronzitti, General Secretary, Elmar Thyen, chair of the Energy Task Force, and Benoît Cassorla, Policy Officer) met with leaders of Ukrainian employers organisations, such as the Federation of Employers of Ukraine, the Association of Employers Organisations of Ukraine and the Association of the Ukrainian Waterworks (Ukrvodokanalekolohiia). Mrs Ronzitti showed SGI Europe’s support in strengthening the role of Ukrainian employers’ organisations in social dialogue at the national level and their involvement at the European level.
SGI Europe and the ETUC issued a joint press release at the end of the mission. You can find it here.
Contact: Benoît Cassorla
On Friday 29 September, SGI Europe organised the “Brussels Workshop” of the project “Regeneration Plan for Workplaces”, organised by the Malta Employers’ Association (MEA) and co-funded by the European Commission.
The meeting gathered an invaluable line-up of expert speakers, who all brought different perspectives from different national realities and sectors, bringing a different light on the post-COVID-19 transformation of workplaces.
Moderated by Valeria Ronzitti, SGI Europe General Secretary, speakers included Robert Debono, the expert subcontracted to run the research of the project, as well as Agnès Parent-Thirion, Eurofound Senior Research Manager. A panel discussion featured Michael De Gols, vice-chair of SGI Europe’s Social Affairs Board and UNISOC Director, Ignacio Doreste, ETUC Senior Advisor and Isaline OSSIEUR, BusinessEurope Adviser, broadened further the perspective and kicked off a broader conversation.
Started in 2021, the project “Regeneration Plan for Workplaces” will be concluded at the end of this month, with the final conference scheduled on 31 October in Żejtun (Malta).
Contact: Maxime Staelens
On 2 October, SGI Europe published a statement on Data Sharing, outlining its key messages for a sustainable and digitalised mobility sector in Europe. In this statement, SGI Europe highlights in particular the importance of a European harmonised data management system and the development of a future-proof digitalised transport sector.
As road transport contributes to over 70% of greenhouse gas emissions in the transport sector, and to meet the EU's long-term target of reducing transport emissions by 90% by 2050, SGI Europe recommends a shift towards less polluting modes of transportation and urban public transport as a sustainable investment solution. Multimodal digital mobility services and combining public transport with new and sustainable mobility services are essential to reach a higher modal split and the objectives of the EU Green Deal.
This calls, in particular, to further promote the Door-2-door and Mobility as a Service approach to ensure a complete mobility transition in Europe. Implementing this principle will require sharing a level playing field of mobility data between public and private mobility stakeholders.
SGI Europe, therefore, recommends the following EU policy approaches for a sustainable mobility transition, considering the special demands of public transport providers and local and regional municipalities:
Contact: Henriette Gleau
On 11 October 2023, the European Commission will organise the yearly consultation of the European social partners on the 2024 annual sustainable growth survey.
For this consultation, EU social partners will discuss the primary economic, labour market and social developments. The consultation paper circulated before the meeting provides a brief overview of the policy context, including the 2023 European Semester, the Recovery and Resilience Facility, and the role of social partners in promoting sustainable and inclusive growth.
In its economic analysis, the Commission points out that the EU economy continues to show resilience despite exceptional shocks but has lost momentum. Inflation reached 9,2% in 2022, with spikes in energy, food, and transport prices impacting real households’ incomes.
Overall, the EU labour market continued to perform strongly with record employment rates, but sizeable labour and skills shortages hamper growth and competitiveness. The Commission states that stronger upskilling and reskilling efforts remain key to addressing labour and skills shortages, given the digital and green transitions, and achieving the 2030 EU headline target and the corresponding national targets on adult learning.
Wage growth in the EU has been robust in 2022, although still well below inflation, and strong social dialogue and effective collective bargaining have a prominent role in delivering balanced wage-setting outcomes in the current context. Social protection systems' adequacy, coverage, and fiscal sustainability remain key for a strong European social model.
The consultation meeting will take place on 11 October. SGI Europe will exchange views with employers, trade unions and the European Commission on the state of play of the European economy and social situation.
Contact: Guillaume Afellat
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