CESI - Independent Trade Unions

With a new European Commission on the horizon, CESI is focused on what this will mean for Europe’s workforce. Our Secretary General Klaus Heeger emphasises the opportunity for the incoming Commissioner to advance social fairness and strengthen employment policy, particularly through commitments to quality jobs and social rights. With Romania's Roxana Minzatu to lead a 'super-portfolio' on employment, skills and education, and Spain's Teresa Ribera focusing on just transitions, effective collaboration will be essential to tackle the social and economic challenges facing Europe’s workforce. Ahead of Commissioner hearings, CESI calls for concrete, binding measures to ensure fair wages and safe working conditions. Read the article of Klaus Heeger here: https://bit.ly/3A9m0nn

CESI welcomes the recent adoption of new rules by the Council of the European Union aimed at improving working conditions for #platform #workers. This crucial step will provide stronger protections and rights for millions of workers in the gig economy, including greater transparency, fairer wages, and enhanced access to social protections. As advocates for equal and fair workplaces, we view this development as a significant move towards ensuring that all workers, regardless of their employment status, are treated with dignity and respect.

As the European Parliament prepares for the hearings of the designated Commissioners, I me with new or reelected MEPs to discuss their and CESI’s priorities for 2024-2029. From social rights to competitiveness, from fair taxation to civil protection, from defence to a strong public services agenda: the coming years will be critical. One of the focus was the future of employment in the digital age. New technologies and AI offer tremendous possibilities, but also huge risks. New rules for work in the digital age, such as a directive on the right to disconnect and fair conditions for telework, are urgently needed, and CESI´s resolution on AI asks for a strong involvement of the workforce. Beyond the digital realm, the proposed revision of the European Works Council (EWC) directive and the new directive on improving conditions for trainees were discussed. These need to be adopted swiftly. EWCs should be turned from mere consultation to real negotiations instruments, even if the current revision proposal mainly targets (a much needed) empowerment of EWCs to actually and properly fulfill their consultation functions properly. A new directive on traineeships must be as strong as possible on equal treatment and financial compensations. Just taxation was another issue raised during the discussions. Cracking down on tax evasion is not only an economic necessity but a moral obligation. As multinational corporations may exploit tax loopholes, ordinary citizens are left to bear the brunt of the tax burden. Ensuring that national tax administrations are adequately resourced remains crucial. With some MEPs we also discussed understaffing in the health care sector, the need to invest in equipment, facilities, and staff, as well as improving working conditions in the sector. In terms of European defence, respective meetings revealed a mutual dedication to build an effective and efficient EU defence architecture – with an inclusive involvement of stakeholders. CESI’s European Defence Round Table serves as a useful tool to this end. Further meetings aimed at placing crisis management and civil protection higher on the EU agenda. Here, the added value of the EU is particularly visible and tangible. We also brought forward all of our major demands at a recent civil society and trade union hearing of the Renew group in the European Parliament, hoping they will impact policy making during the next term. Just one week after a CESI@noon on teachers’ shortages and the abusive use of temporary work contracts in schools, the European Commission brought Italy to the EU Court in that matter. Marcello Pacifico, President of the CESI Europe Academy and ANIEF, was one of the main drivers in these cases. There are high expectations regarding the selection of those who will shape the EU's policies. Ensuring that these leaders are well-qualified and aligned with the interests of European citizens and workers is vital.

CESI is proud to announce that it is an official partner of the Reshaping Work Conference 2024! The conference is shaping up to be a landmark event, bringing together a diverse range of stakeholders to address the pressing topics around #AI and #work. On October 23 & 24 in Amsterdam, thought leaders, innovators, decision-makers and workers will be taking the stage to share their insights. This diverse lineup promises to offer new insights and broaden our understanding of how AI is reshaping the world of work. Paul Leonardi (UC Santa Barbara), Lucia Velasco (United Nations), Matt Pancino (Google), Claire Lebarz (Malt), Stijn Broecke (OECD - OCDE), and Wendy Liu (Zurich Insurance) We look forward to seeing you in #Amsterdam for what promises to be an enlightening and thought-provoking experience. Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University RSM Business Information Management KIN Center for Digital Innovation Jovana Karanovic

Today, CESI Secretary General Klaus Heeger met Mario Nava, the new Director-General of the European Commission's DG Employment. They exchanged views on the priorities of the new Commission cycle 2024-2029, the key files in social and employment policies, as well as the importance of EU social dialogue. Representing over 6 million workers, CESI is committed to continuing our collaboration with DG Employment to advocate for fair labor conditions across Europe. We wish Mr. Nava great success in his new role!   #CESI #EuropeanCommission #Employment #SocialAffairs #EUsocialdialogue

Teacher Shortages: Education and active labour market policies responses A CESI@noon brought to you by CESI Youth Tuesday, September 24 2024, 12:00-14:00 o’clock in hybrid format (online & in Brussels) in English and French languages [...] 13:00 Precarious employment of substitute teachers in Germany Stefan Düll, Vice-President of the German teachers’ trade union ‘DPhV’ and President of the German teachers’ association ‘Deutscher Lehrerverband’ https://lnkd.in/dEw7Tp3R [...] #bildung #dbb #cesi Klaus Heeger

CESI is happy to announce its upcoming event "Teacher Shortages: Education and active labour market policies responses" 🗓 Date: September 24, 2024 📍 Location: Brussels and Online ✔ What measures can the EU implement to address the widespread use of fixed-term contracts for teachers, and how can these measures ensure long-term job security and career stability? ✔How can European countries make the teaching profession more attractive to new entrants considering the current challenges such as a lack of appreciation and fair working conditions? ✔Can the integration of digitalisation and climate policies within the education system contribute to reducing teacher shortages and improve the overall quality of education and education outcomes in Europe? 🔗 Register now and be part of the conversation: https://lnkd.in/dePcYakA More info: https://lnkd.in/d95KZpqC #Education #TeacherShortages #SocialDialogue #TradeUnions #CESI #EUeducation #ACTIVER

Yesterday, Ursula von der Leyen presented the names of the Commissioners-designate. Pending approval by the European Parliament, employment and social affairs would be handled by Roxana Mînzatu as one of six Executive Vice-Presidents of the European Commission. She would also be in charge of skills and education, which are policy fields with important employment-related intersections. My first reaction was disappointment that employment and social affairs would not lie in the competence of a single Commissioner anymore. However, giving it second thoughts, a substantial and comprehensive portfolio combining education and employment handled by a Commissioner at a prominent position could also mean that social policies will (or at least are meant to) feature on equal ranks with corporate industrial policy, likewise handled by a dedicated Vice-President. A lot will depend on the assertiveness of the players. For us unions, it is of central importance to ensure a balance between economic competitiveness and social rights. Competitiveness cannot come at the expenses of fair wages, job security, or social safeguards. Wage repression as a tool to promote competitiveness would not only harm workers but also undermine social cohesion and long-term economic stability. The European model of competitiveness is built on innovation, skills development, and fair labor practices. As Draghi´s report itself states: "Competitiveness today is less about relative labour costs and more about knowledge and skills embodied in the labour force." It remains to be seen how cooperation will evolve with Spanish Commissioner-designate Teresa Ribera, who would, amongst other fields, be in charge of fair transitions. In any case, as independent unions we expect a strong commitment to inclusive social dialogue and trade union pluralism. We clearly regret that there will be no Commissioner designated for gender equality and women’s rights in particular, but that it will be annexed – seemingly in a rather random matter – to the Belgian designated Commissioner Hadja Lahbib’s portfolio of ‘Preparedness and crisis management’. That being said, we expect a lot of strong impulses from Ms Lahbib in terms of civil protection and disaster management. In relation to CESI’s priorities and expectations in the field of employment and social affairs, we acknowledge Ms von der Leyen’s sustained commitment to the European Pillar of Social Rights, as laid out in her political guidelines for the new term. We also welcome planned initiatives on a right to disconnect and AI at work. Yet the announced 'Quality Jobs Roadmap' will have to be concrete and substantial enough. Our EU elections manifesto will feature high again in our main motion for our CESI Congress in December. We expect the new European Commission to deliver on transparent and inclusive social dialogue, on decent work and fair green-digital transitions for all, and not least on a strong public services agenda.

Joint statement from CESI Secretary General Klaus Heeger and Irene Thill (Confédération Générale de la Fonction Publique), Member of the Platform for Tax Good Governance, on the Court of Justice of the European Union ruling on the Apple tax state aid case:   “We welcome the ECJ ruling in the ‘Apple’ case, confirming that multinational corporations must pay their fair share of taxes. Fair taxation is crucial to funding public services like healthcare, education, and infrastructure, which workers and communities rely on daily.   This ruling also helps reduce the tax burden on workers and smaller businesses. It’s time to end special deals and ensure big corporations uphold their responsibility to society. Fair taxation ensures stronger public sectors and a more just economy.”   #TaxJustice #ECJ #PublicServices #WorkersRights #FairEconomy #Multinationals Margrethe Vestager #DGtaxud

Summer break is over and we face an extremely interesting EU agenda. Almost all Commissioners designates have been nominated and the race is on for the upcoming hearings, election and votes of the Commission President and the entire College. Over the next mandate, the EU´s resilience, competitiveness and not least solidarity will be tested. As geopolitical tensions continue to increase, a just transition to a greener, more digital economy grows more urgent, requiring both innovative policies and the protection of workers' rights. Trade unions must be at the forefront of these discussions. We have a responsibility to ensure that the voices of workers are heard and that their rights are protected in the face of ongoing transformations. We must advocate for policies that are fair and inclusive. Because, let´s be honest, there is a very big risk that not few will be left behind. Against this background, we are gearing up for our CESI Congress in December (#CESICongress24) to establish our vision, our priorities and our work programme for the coming years – to protect and empower today´s workforce for tomorrow. Later this month, I will be in Strasbourg to engage directly with (re-)elected Members of the European Parliament to explore how to address the pressing issues facing workers in Europe today. During the next 5 years, it will be central for us to help shape change - and we will need many partners and supporters for that.