IndustriAll Europe and its seven million workers across the industry, energy and mining sectors, applaud Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) for their strong support to reinforce the Just Transition framework and call on the European Commission to act on this clear political mandate.
The Parliament’s vote sends a strong signal that the transition must be organised through anticipation and the management of change, together with workers, and must ensure job-to-job transitions across industrial sectors.
The initiative report includes several key elements that the ETUC and industriAll Europe have long been calling for, including:
- the establishment of enterprise-level and national just transition plans;
- an individual right to paid training for workers during working hours;
- the integration of Just Transition objectives into the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF).
At a time when European industry is undergoing profound transformation under enormous pressure, with plants closing and jobs being lost, a legislative framework to organise the transition in a way that is fair for workers is long overdue.
Judith Kirton-Darling, industriAll Europe General Secretary, said:
“Workers need a framework that protects them throughout the transition process, promotes access to training and ensures increased workers’ participation. The existing legal framework is not sufficient, and the implementation of existing rights too often lags behind. The European Parliament has recognised this today, and we stand ready to support the further development of the Just Transition framework in the context of the Quality Jobs Act in the coming months.”
The adoption of the legislative initiative report means that the European Commission is required to assess the need for legislation and to provide clear justification should it decide not to proceed. This follows the publication of the Quality Jobs Roadmap and the social partner consultation on the Quality Jobs Act, which identifies just transition as one of its possible components.