The new EU mandate 2024 – 2029 has an increased its focus on the defence sector, linked to Russia’s ongoing attacks on Ukraine, with a newly created Commissioner for defence and space, and the European Parliament’s defence sub-committee being upgraded to a full committee. During this time, industriAll Europe calls for an EU defence industrial policy which invests in workers and ensures good quality industrial jobs for all while stressing the need to end armed conflict worldwide. 

Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine continues and the EU has increased its ambition to provide defence equipment to help the Ukrainian people defend themselves. This has highlighted the decades-long lack of investment in the European Defence Technological and Industrial Base (EDTIB) and its workforce including skills shortages, an ageing workforce, and issues attracting new workers. 

These challenges were discussed during industriAll Europe’s defence meeting in Warsaw, Poland, one of the EU Member States the most affected by war in Ukraine. Trade unions representing defence workers across Europe came together to share challenges facing workers including ensuring fair and safe working conditions. Trade unions agreed on the need to ensure that investments were made in defence production and in the workforce while insisting that EU money should not be taken from other important social budgets and that the aim of the defence sector was to ensure peace worldwide.
This agreement resulted in the so-called ‘’Warsaw Declaration’’ which will be shared with EU policy makers to ensure that the position of trade unions is included in EU level discussions on the future of European defence and security.

Isabelle Barthes, Deputy General Secretary of industriAll Europe said: 

‘’The increased attention on the defence sector is a sad reality of today’s geopolitical situation and we stand in solidarity with our brothers and sister in Ukraine during their ongoing bombardment with thousands already killed. While we agree on investments in European defence production after decades of under investment, we insist that EU initiatives on defence or security should not come at the expense of social progress, workers’ rights working conditions and the much needed investments into the twin transition .’’

A White Paper on the future of European Defence is expected in the first 100 days of the new European Commission which is of great relevance for trade unions with 500,000 jobs in the sector. The Warsaw Declaration stresses the importance of efforts to ensure that these are decent and well-paid quality jobs across all European countries that respect workers’ rights.

“The defence sector is a complex and highly technical sector and it is not possible to ramp up production overnight. These workers are highly skilled and time is needed to increase the workforce, replace retiring workers and upskill and reskill current workers. The new European industrial policy for the defence sector must be worker centred as there is no defence sector without a high skilled workforce. We insist on good industrial jobs for all workers in all manufacturing sectors.’’ added Isabelle Barthes

Read the Warsaw Declaration  here