Just transition directive in the world of work: ensuring the creation of jobs and revitalising local economies

The European Parliament adopted by 420 votes to 207, with 20 abstentions, a resolution containing recommendations to the Commission on a just transition directive in the world of work: ensuring the creation of jobs and revitalising local economies.

Need for a legislative framework

To successfully transition to more sustainable energy sources, modernised industries and a more digitalised economy leading to the creation of quality jobs in the EU, Members stressed the need to ensure that businesses and workers are well equipped to take advantage of the opportunities arising from the switch to new and innovative solutions and underlines the importance of decent work and jobs covered by collective agreements.

According to Parliament, a legislative framework addressing the challenges and opportunities of a just transition in the workplace is essential to ensure adequate minimum standards that provide workers and employers with the clarity and structure needed to anticipate and manage change in order to improve the Union’s resilience, competitiveness and upward social convergence and social justice.

Recommendations

The resolution emphasised that digitalisation must be implemented in a human-centred way, preventing excessive surveillance of workers and ensuring the right to disconnect, as well as fair working time arrangements. It highlighted that the anticipation and management of change is paramount for both employers, and workers, and regional and local authorities and communities to successfully navigate the green and digital transition.

Parliament emphasised:

- the essential nature of social dialogue between workers and employers regarding the modalities of training opportunities that meet the needs of the labour market;

- the need to promote the active participation of young people in the implementation and monitoring of policies related to a fair and just transition;

- the need for Member States, with the involvement of regions, to support businesses and workers by developing transition strategies and policies for a just transition at the national level tailored to local specificities;

- the importance of supporting businesses, particularly SMEs, to prevent forced redundancies, such as through temporary support programmes to protect employment during transitions, as well as preventing the loss of strategic industrial capacity and skilled workforce;

- the adoption of place-based policies that create economic opportunities for individuals and businesses in rural areas, attract private investment and create local jobs;

- the need to facilitate access to transition funding, which must be simplified, proportionate and adapted to SMEs;

- the importance for workers to acquire both basic and advanced digital skills; educational and training institutions must strengthen the relevance of their training programmes in order to meet the needs of the competitive labour market;

- the need to ensure a high level of workers’ occupational health and safety and to protect the mental health and psychological well-being of workers during transitions;

- the need to support short-time work schemes and the importance of targeted support for workers affected by transitions.

Parliament stressed the importance of forecasting changes in the labour market and trends in skills needs for effective policy and timely responses. In this regard, it called for the consolidation of the collection of relevant data and analysis of the impact of transition policies.

Regretting that the proposal for the Multiannual Financial Framework 2028-2034 does not include a stand-alone instrument to address the Just Transition, Parliament stressed that dedicated funding continues to be necessary to support the impacted regions address the challenges stemming from the green transition. In this regard, it called for an extended and enlarged Just Transition Fund for the post-2027 programming period. Member States are urged to allocate sufficient funding to quality skills and vocational training programmes.

Content of the requested proposal

The European Parliament believes that the Commission should address all of these concerns through a legislative proposal focused on the following strategic measures:

(a) establish a dedicated framework to anticipate and manage change in regions and sectors facing transitions on the basis of the principles of mandatory and timely information and consultation of workers and their representatives, of social dialogue and of collective bargaining;

(b) ensure that the right to information and consultation of workers and their representatives;

(c) establish an individual right to training for workers during working hours;

(d) establish national just transition strategies, with a particular focus on developing long-term vision for local economies and workforce in all affected regions and sectors;

(e) develop support programmes for businesses, in particular SMEs and local actors in order to encourage local job-creation;

(f)  ensure the matching of labour and skills supply and demand through a combined use of labour market intelligence, enhanced collaboration of local actors and social partners with training providers, and the promotion of company-level transition plans.