SGI Europe addresses the 2025 Porto Social Forum

On 18-19 September 2025, SGI Europe, represented by Valeria Ronzitti, General Secretary, and Duarte Veiga da Cunha, President of SGI Portugal, joined the 2025 Porto Social Forum, organised by the Portuguese government with the support of the European Commission. Focused on “Quality Jobs in a Competitive Social Europe”, the event built on the commitments made at the 2021 Porto Social Summit and the 2023 Porto Social Forum.

Valeria Ronzitti, SGI Europe General Secretary, addressed various topics on this occasion, highlighting key messages for employers and providers of services of general interest:

On the future of the European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR): ”We now need to make sure that the future European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan promote a holistic approach to principles 16 to 20. Such a holistic approach must help better structurally address services artificially separated by the EPSR, laying the foundations for an Action Plan on Affordable, Accessible and High-Quality Services of General Interest.”

On fair labour mobility: “Mobility must remain a positive choice, not a necessity. The freedom to move must go hand in hand with the freedom to stay. We need to address labour circularity – and not just mobility, and to look at the investment needs in housing, childcare and transport so every region remains attractive to live and work.”

On a quality jobs target: “Job quality is multi-dimensional – pay, safety, training, work-life balance and more. Any EU target must include the employer perspective and leave room for national and sectoral solutions. Quality jobs are only sustainable if enterprises can create and maintain them over time.”

On work-life balance and quality jobs: “We do not need new rules, we need to make existing ones work. The Work-Life Balance Directive already provides a solid framework; now we need effective implementation, higher paternity leave uptake, and investment in childcare so workers can stay in the labour market.”