Fit for the new World of Work

Restructurings of a never-seen-before scale hit the European industry due to the combined effects of the COVID-19 crisis-related economic shock, the twin green and digital transitions, ill-regulated globalisation, Brexit and ageing societies. Millions of industry jobs are at risk of being displaced, if not simply removed. At the same time, the EU sets ambitious 2030 targets: at least 55% carbon emission reduction, 78% of the 20-64 years-old in employment, 60% of adults participating in training every year, at least 15 million less people at risk of poverty or social exclusion.

Past industriAll Europe’s projects (“Link them up!” VS/2017/0401, “Anticipate & Shape” VS/2020/0050) demonstrated that the EU legal framework on early workers’ involvement in corporate strategic decisions remains ill-suited, while multinational companies [hereafter MNCs] continue to lack forward-planning on adaptation to drastic changes. Until the EU comes up with binding obligations for MNCs to take a proactive approach to (post-COVID-19) restructuring, social dialogue must go the extra miles to avoid massive forced-redundancies and plant closures and ensure no worker is left behind.

The “Fit for the new world of work” project thus intends to: 1/ incentivise worker representatives in MNCs to engage dialogue with management on topics thus far overlooked in transnational representation bodies (e.g. climate change, supply chains, skills and training policies), and 2/ raise awareness about available European level instruments to support workers in the European industry’s transition (e.g. financial instruments such – revamped European Globalisation Adjustment Fund -, new legislation - Directive on insolvency and preventive restructuring -, social partners’ instruments – European Framework Agreements and outcomes of sectoral social dialogue committees). A series of company-based meetings and a conference will help exchange concrete social dialogue practices from which recommendations for action will be derived and shared with representatives in the +600 MNCs under industriAll Europe’s scope.


Start date: 1 July 2022
Duration: 24 months


  • IndustriAll Europe practical recommendations on AI  EN  FR  DE  ES  CZ  PL  IT  NL  SW
  • IndustriAll Europe practical recommendations on Just Transition and Decarbonisation  EN  FR  DE  ES  CZ  PL  IT  NL  SW
  • IndustriAll Europe practical recommendations on skills and training  EN  FR  DE  ES  CZ  PL  IT  NL  SW



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Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.