The EESC asserts that businesses and workers must have proper channels for participating in efforts to support environmental protection and combat climate change. While respecting the role of national industrial relations systems and the autonomy of the social partners, the EESC considers that issues related to the green transition could be a stronger focus of collective bargaining at the appropriate levels. It highlights collective bargaining as a key tool that can help companies and workers face the challenges of the climate crisis, including the derived costs for companies.
Download — Opinjoni tal-KESE: Green collective bargaining
Working life is transforming due to the accelerating digital transformation, automation, and transition to climate neutrality. A workforce with the right skills will contribute to strengthen the competitiveness of the union. Against the background of the Commission’s announcement of making 2023 the European Year of Skills. What competence and skill development will be needed?
Download — Opinjoni tal-KESE: Competence and skill development in a context of the green and digital transition
Democracy at work should cover all workers, types of work, as well as all workplaces, including platform workers. It makes companies more resilient, economically successful and better able to deliver on employment and decent work. Successful forms of democratic participation are also found in the social economy, and cooperatives. European Works Councils (EWCs) could be improved by improving participation rights and sanctioning infringements. More democracy in the world of work depends on cooperation of all stakeholders, and can help ease the green and digital transitions. It is crucial to educate young people in favor of democracy at work.
In this opinion, requested by the upcoming Spanish presidency of the EU, the EESC is exploring the consequences of precarious working conditions on the mental health of workers.
The Committee:
strongly upholds the evidence showing that precarious work increases the chances of worker´s mental health deteriorating and it is incompatible with the achievement of SDGs in the EU: it is a public health issue that has to be eradicated
stresses that combating work-related psychosocial risks at the source, using organisational interventions to reshape working conditions, is an essential first step in promoting mental health in the workplace as has highlighted by WHO and ILO
proposes adopting specific EU legislation on preventing psychosocial risk as well as developing and modernising the current directive on occupational safety and health
Download — Opinjoni tal-KESE: Precarious work and mental health
