Download Political Resolution

2nd Congress
industriAll Europe
Madrid 7-9/06/2016
Political Resolution
As adopted by the 2nd industriAll Europe Congress on 8th June 2016
IndustriAll Europe as a European trade union Federation must focus on the essential interests of its members.
Our goals
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Create quality, secure and well-paid jobs in European industries;
Promote collective bargaining systems with an extensive coverage in order to achieve
good working conditions all across Europe;
Develop effective counter-power vis-à-vis multinational companies;
Strengthen trade unions in Europe and at national level through targeted organising.
Much of Europe is still going through a period of economic stagnation and social regression in which unemployment
(especially youth unemployment) is far too high, wealth inequality within and between EU countries is rising, working
conditions are deteriorating and poverty is increasing. Almost one in four Europeans is at risk of poverty; young people,
women, migrants and pensioners are particularly concerned in alarming proportions. This is unacceptable.
The austerity policies and structural reforms put in place to tackle the crisis, and which were supposed to restore the
competitiveness of the Member States, have failed and have led to more social hardship. These ideology- and interestdriven measures are putting pressure on many Member States, which are suffering from an unprecedented attack on
wages, social protection and workers’ and trade union rights. These attacks have led to an increase in precarious
employment, pay cuts, flexibility and insecurity for workers. National and European austerity measures are reducing
purchasing power and have a negative impact on consumption, employment and a fair distribution of income and
wealth. These measures are fundamentally unpicking the very fabric of the European social model, including collective
bargaining systems, social security systems and individual and collective social rights, to the detriment of workers,
citizens and social cohesion.
These policies are making it harder to achieve economic recovery based on increased purchasing power, investment,
increased productivity, and competition between businesses driven by technological and social innovation. They lead
to downward competition between companies based on social dumping. The social impact of the current austerity
policy is immense. This leads to mass unemployment and to a deterioration in living conditions - not just within the
eurozone but right across Europe. These policies are in line with the objectives of capital: the individualisation of
industrial relations via the weakening of collective regulations and trade unions in most countries and not only in the
south of Europe.
Austerity policies are tearing Europe apart and creating divisions between prosperous and stagnating EU countries.
They are forcing workers between and within countries into competition with each other, which is detrimental to all
of them. The desperation of many workers in the countries that are most severely affected leads to migration of
citizens in search of temporary or permanent employment in other EU countries and outside the regulated labour
market, creating a situation of forced mobility rather than the desired freedom of movement.
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The failure of the political establishment to tackle social instability is driving many European citizens away from core
democratic and solidarity values and from the European project. IndustriAll Europe is resolutely opposed to the
European-wide rise of xenophobic, nationalist, anti-European forces and right-wing extremism.
EU policymakers cannot ignore the risks and dangers of their policy of austerity. We urgently need a Europe that is
once more based on the core European values such as democratic, economic and social progress, environmental
sustainablility as well as solidarity and equality.
With internal walls rising, the right to free movement and the Schengen agreement are under attack, undermining the
basis on which the EU was founded. Freedom of movement must be guaranteed to all people within the EU.
The terrible suffering of those who seek refuge fleeing poverty, war and persecution requires a European response
based on humanity, solidarity and inclusion. IndustriAll Europe urges Europe and the EU Member States to overcome
divisions and nationalism and come up with a joint response to this humanitarian emergency instead of turning Europe
into a fortress. All countries in Europe must share equal responsibility in welcoming refugees. Europe must also
support developing countries in the resolution of conflicts which it contributed to creating, and support their economic
development in order to improve the quality of life of populations and their ability to sustain themselves. This means
that Europe must finally remove the reasons for the exodus of refugees including unfair trade agreements. Trade
unions must play a role with regards to the integration of refugees in society and they have a special responsibility to
ensure that refugees obtain fair conditions on the labour market. Access to language learning, education and training,
medical care and employment is indispensable for a fair integration in society. IndustriAll Europe opposes the use of
refugees as cheap labour under precarious working conditions.
Social and labour rights as well as social protection must be put at the centre of the global economic order.
Globalisation cannot be used by governments and multinational companies to undermine workers’ and trade union
rights and to circumvent social regulations. Europe must push for fair and sustainable globalisation based on the
recognition of strong and effective social, environmental and fiscal standards, notably enforcing respect of core labour
rights in the context of World Trade Organisation and Free Trade Agreement negotiations.
IndustriAll Europe demands that the new generation of trade agreements such as the Comprehensive Economic and
Trade Agreement (CETA) with Canada and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) with the US must
be negotiated with a view to serving the public interest and not the vested interests of some private investors. A trade
policy is needed to that end, based on fair trade, high standards for workers, for health and the environment
worldwide as well as on democracy and transparency. IndustriAll Europe calls for a trade policy and trade agreements
which are useful to workers in European industrial sectors. Trade and investment agreements must not lead to a
dismantling of social and environmental standards, nor to the automatic establishment of a special jurisdiction.
Treaties which do not ensure this will come up against dogged resistance from workers and their trade unions.
European Union policies need to be refocused on promoting growth-oriented monetary and budgetary policies,
geared towards sustainable growth and more social justice. The EU and its individual Member States must finally take
action to combat precarious work, poverty and youth unemployment as well as to secure the future of the
manufacturing industry and the creation of industrial jobs in Europe. We demand quality and sustainable jobs that
ensure fair pay as well as decent living and working conditions. Strengthening the social dialogue and the collective
bargaining systems constitutes a precondition here. A more social Europe also implies the promotion of decent social
and labour rights, including trade union rights and the right to strike. Furthermore, a social Europe is impossible
without a fair taxation system to prevent beggar-thy-neighbour policies. Faced with multinational companies’
strategies that use globalisation in general and specifically use restructuring to pit workers against each other – often
with the support of governments – industriAll European Trade Union affiliates are committed to strengthening their
cooperation to defend worker’s interests across Europe. In order to prevent a further race to the bottom between the
European regions and sectors, the EU single market must be an instrument for social progress for all rather than for
the promotion of private profits. All forms of unfair deregulation must be fought and social dumping must be actively
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opposed so as to prevent downward pressure on wages and working conditions as well as on collective bargaining
structures.
IndustriAll Europe also emphasises the importance of good social dialogue in dealing with these challenges. Social
dialogue is an instrument that should be fully used and recognised by the European Commission, social partners and
other European actors to deal with industrial and social challenges. In that sense, industriAll Europe condemns any
attempt by the European Commission to reduce the means and role of European Social Dialogue.
Securing the future of the manufacturing industry & creating
sustainable industrial jobs in Europe
A strong and sustainable manufacturing base is essential for sustained economic prosperity and stability in Europe. A
consensus in Europe has finally been reached that economies can only prosper by maintaining a substantial industrial
base and that a critical threshold of manufacturing is needed to maintain the sustainability of the European economic
and social model. However, the crisis, which has been exacerbated by recessionary austerity measures, has set in
motion a deindustrialisation process with many bankruptcies and massive industrial job losses especially in the
countries that have been most affected by these policies.
Industrial workers were the first victims of the financial crisis, with 3.8 million people losing their job. The erosion of
our industrial basis and the creation of ‘industrial desertification’ in some regions urgently needs to be reversed in
order to foster economic activity and employment by implementing industrial recovery policies jointly agreed and
coordinated by the social partners on all political decision-making levels. We need strategies on how the industrial
base can be rebuilt in countries hit by the crisis and how industry can be developed further in the less affected EU
countries.
Europe needs to bring to a halt the disastrous consequences of the financial crisis and austerity policies on the real
economy and restart the economy by pursuing coordinated demand-led macroeconomic policies, combining wage
increases to boost purchasing power with massive public spending. Europe needs investment. The Juncker plan is a
small step forward but this is not enough to make up for the investment that has been lost since 2008 and is unlikely
to direct significant investment to the countries that are most in need. IndustriAll Europe supports the European Trade
Union Confederation (ETUC) new Path for Europe plan with its proposed investment programme of 2% of the EU’s
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per year for the next ten years. Sustainable growth-oriented monetary, fiscal and
budgetary policies must be promoted by EU policy-makers and central bankers. Fiscal competition and dumping in the
EU must be addressed. To this end, the harmonisation of company taxation should be promoted, alongside action
against tax havens and tax evasion.
The crisis has also revealed the flaws of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), which has been rendered even
more fragile and has been destabilised by the Greek crisis. The euro crisis can only be solved by shifting the emphasis
towards more economic and fiscal coordination, strengthening efforts by the European Central Bank (ECB) towards
financing sovereign debt and by achieving more burden-sharing in tackling economic disparities between countries
and promoting the recovery of the European economy. The efforts of the ECB can only be successful in the long run
when accompanied by enhanced internal demand and by carrying out an ambitious investment plan. Deepening the
EMU can only go hand in hand with a massive expansion of the social dimension, otherwise anti-European forces will
become more powerful.
The ongoing domination of the financial sphere over the real economy has to come to an end. Re-regulation of the
banking sector must ensure that financial markets promote rather than endanger the growth of the real economy.
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The financial crisis still undermines access to finance and this is especially affecting SMEs which are most dependent
on bank credit. The creation of a robust banking union, which has been repeatedly called for by industriAll Europe, is
therefore very much needed to restore a financial system that supports and develops the real economy.
A coherent and comprehensive industrial policy strategy has to address a number of key challenges that have different
effects in our sectors. It has to support the transformation of Europe’s manufacturing sector towards a new model of
growth based on sustainable technologies, energy and resources efficiency and carbon-lean production as well as to
ensure a concrete industrial investment agenda, an effective European energy policy and a fair level playing field in
Europe and at the global level. IndustriAll Europe defends an approach to industrial policy which is based on the right
mix between crosscutting and sector-specific issues.
IndustriAll Europe advocates an employment-oriented industrial and sectoral policy to tackle the different challenges
of digitalisation and automation arising in the context of globalisation and demographic change in a pan-European
sector specific strategy in the interests of workers.
Europe needs an ambitious common approach by all European Institutions to industrial policy (accompanied by
coordinated and strong national industrial policies in all EU Member States) which recognises trade unions as a central
policy stakeholder and the role of social dialogue. Moreover, Europe needs to provide the financial means to
implement this policy. Cooperation between EU Member States is needed more than ever to pool resources to
mobilise considerable amounts of finance in order to fund big industrial projects, in particular in R&D and
breakthrough technologies. We need an industrial policy that does not only rely on the current strengths of the
sectors. A joint innovation effort is needed in high technologies and traditional industries alike. Enhanced cooperation
between providers in the high- and medium-technology segments is an essential building block for Europe’s innovative
capacity.
Europe’s industry is not only currently suffering from falling overall investment in industrial sites and equipment but
also in Europe’s key asset: its people and their competences. High quality education systems combined with ambitious
lifelong learning strategies are essential for European success in global competition, managing the transition to a low
carbon, resource efficient and energy efficient economy and increasing workers’ employability. These education
systems must promote and develop particular competences such as skills in the areas of ICT, science, technology,
engineering and mathematics. Strengthened social dialogue is key to fostering the development of a highly skilled
workforce with stable, secure and high quality jobs.
Employees will only be committed to company goals when genuine workers’ participation in what companies plan and
produce exists. Company level social dialogue is required in order to enable employees to contribute towards
innovation. This can only occur if they have good and secure working conditions and well paid jobs.
IndustriAll Europe believes that the primary target of the EU’s environmental policy is to bring about a just transition
that establishes synergies between competitiveness, combats global warming, promotes resource efficiency and new
technologies whilst creating high quality employment. Social, economic and environmental objectives should not be
pitted against each other but need to be taken into equal account in the creation of a sustainable and socially just
European economy. Europe is already a front-runner in sustainable technologies and should benefit from the growing
demand for eco-technologies and more sustainable products and services. IndustriAll Europe is committed to
supporting the synergies between industrial and environmental policies.
Competitive energy prices are of utmost importance as far as preserving the competitiveness of Europe’s industry and
especially its energy-intensive industries is concerned. Access to affordable energy is also essential in order to prevent
households from suffering from energy poverty. The creation of an Energy Union with the aim of pooling resources,
investing jointly, fully integrating the European energy market as well as better coordinating national policies and
working together on major issues such as research, greenhouse gas emissions and supply contracts could be a
milestone for the EU in terms of improving energy security, affordability and access to energy as well as decarbonising
the economy.
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Europe can only succeed with the transformation of its manufacturing base towards a sustainable industry with a
strong social dimension. Strengthened social dialogue, participation and strong engagement of workers and active
social policies with sufficient financial resources are essential to anticipate and accompany structural change. The
involvement of social partners and establishment of robust social dialogue structures are a pre-condition for the
socially responsible and sustainable transformation of European industry.
Reinforce solidarity, social policy & collective bargaining for quality
jobs
Austerity policies do not solve the crisis; they only make it worse. They did not bring back recovery, have pushed
millions of workers into unemployment - over 26 million people are now unemployed in the EU – and many more into
precarious work with the growing replacement of stable wages with variable remuneration systems and a fall in real
wages in 18 of the 28 Member States of the European Union.
The deregulation agenda imposed by the European Commission together with other non-directly elected international
organisations such as the IMF and the ECB has led to an unprecedented and undemocratic attack on collective
agreements, social security systems, acquired and social rights as well as on collective bargaining systems themselves.
This agenda, which was implemented in some countries without proper consultation with the social partners (despite
their legitimate role) has had a disastrous effect on EU labour markets. Further trends towards the decentralisation of
collective bargaining processes and more pressure for more flexibility are increasing uncertainty for workers. The
erosion of ‘standard’ or ‘typical’ forms of employment contracts has given rise to zero hour contracts, temporary and
other forms of precarious jobs, creating a generation of working poor. This situation is undermining the financial
sustainability of the health and pension systems.
IndustriAll Europe is resolutely opposed to the neoliberal assault on collective bargaining and acquired rights and will
utilise and support all trade union means and resources to stave it off. IndustriAll Europe urges EU leaders to derail
from the deregulation agenda, which is economically and socially unacceptable and unsustainable. Instead, they must
promote a re-regulation agenda ensuring high quality jobs, improved working and living conditions and proper social
protection. It also demands a halt to the REFIT programme which, under the guise of promoting a ‘better regulation’
agenda, is threatening fundamental labour rights, workers’ social protection and their health and safety.
Collective agreements deliver decent living and working conditions for a majority of workers as well as industrial peace
in companies and in labour relations in general. As such, they are one of the main instruments that regulate industrial
relations throughout the EU and are a pillar of the European social model. IndustriAll Europe rejects any interference
in the autonomy of the social partners at national and European levels and calls for stronger collective bargaining
systems with collective agreements benefitting all workers. In that sense, industriAll Europe is committed to
strengthening trade union power in order to ensure more and better collective agreements, securing the living and
working conditions of workers and a fair distribution of income and wealth.
Strong national trade unions and tightly coordinated European-wide collective bargaining strategies are still key
instruments in fighting against precarious employment, social dumping and protecting workers’ social standards.
IndustriAll Europe and its member organisations will regain visibility and power to defend workers’ interests vis-à-vis
the EU’s institutions, national governments and employers. We must also identify potential synergies with other social
and political movements and forces in their fight for better living and working conditions.
A democratic and social Europe cannot exist without strong and representative national trade unions and employers’
organisations as counterparts. Similarly, a social and democratic Europe cannot exist without fully developed collective
bargaining rights.
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The EU is suffering from an alarming increase in poverty. Moreover, wealth inequality is rising within and between EU
countries. Real income is decreasing and wages are lagging behind productivity in 23 EU Member States. Stimulating
demand and growth and making up for falling standards of living by increasing European workers’ wages is urgent.
This is not just a matter of fairness and social justice, but also of economic necessity!
In the context of the crisis, there is increasing pressure on workers for more flexible work organisation and an increase
in real working time. Regulation of working time and work organisation, which continue to be at the core of the
collective bargaining agenda, must defend solutions that both take into account new technological developments such
as the further digitalisation of the economy and lead to an improvement in the working and living conditions of
workers. The organisation of working time, including the reduction of the latter through different models, is one of
the important instruments for the improvement of working and living conditions and can lead to redistribution of
working time. One of our major concerns is to achieve a better work-life balance. Active working time policies which
secure, create and redistribute employment can be an important and useful instrument in times of economic crisis.
Persisting employment problems coupled with demographic developments and precarious employment pose major
challenges for social protection systems in the EU, whether this be pension schemes (when they are contributory
pension schemes) or health systems. At the same time, older workers find themselves being excluded from
employment despite the fact that, in numerous EU countries, the reform of pension schemes has generally led to
increases in the retirement age and/or a lengthening of the contribution period which gives people the right to qualify
for a pension. Under these circumstances, a general increase in the retirement age cannot be the solution and will
only create additional pressure on youth unemployment. It is important to ensure the survival of social protection
systems and especially pension schemes while defending the principles of a strong pension pillar, intergenerational
solidarity, the maintenance of contributory pension schemes, decent pensions and a retirement age that is compatible
with a healthy life expectancy and which takes the harshness and difficulties of working conditions into account.
The changes in working life, new technologies, global competition and demography are challenges which urge
continuous development of working conditions and the work environment, with a focus on the prevention of physical
and psychosocial risks. This necessitates a clear occupational health and safety policy/strategy and a determined
implementation from EU decision makers. The European and national OHS legislation has to be continuously
improved. It is equally important that compliance with the European and national OHS legislation is monitored by the
relevant national authorities, and that this monitoring is at least in accordance with the agreed European minimum
standards and/or the national improved legislations. IndustriAll Europe cannot allow existing and future European
OHS legislation to be weakened by the REFIT programme.
Developing
companies
effective
counter-power
vis-à-vis
multinational
Company collapses, redundancies, restructuring, transfers of production, relocation or threats thereof that have been
fuelled by the financial and economic crisis have all stepped up the pressure on workers employed in the
manufacturing industry in Europe. Company strategies which lead to workers being played off against each other,
generate social dumping and precarious work and undermine trade union rights are not acceptable. Instead we call
for a model of corporate governance which promotes the sustainable growth of companies based on substantial
investment in innovation, technologies and equipment as well as in people through the development of qualifying
training and retraining policies. This also implies limiting the extent of precarious jobs, developing stable employment
and promoting career development within companies.
Workers’ involvement, which is a pillar of the European social model, is a democratic and emancipating value in itself,
as it promotes self-determination of working people. Companies are clearly more stable and robust when workers are
actively involved in shaping the future of their companies via participation in the development of company policies.
IndustriAll Europe condemns the fact that the European Commission as well as some EU Member States constantly
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question and undermine existing information, consultation and participation rights which are seen as a potential
burden for businesses rather than an essential and stable element for sustainable corporate governance, as is the case
with the REFIT programme. High standards of workers’ involvement must be a priority of the EU in order to ensure
the effective exercise of these fundamental rights and to secure socially responsible anticipation and management of
change. Existing national and European information and consultation rights must be not only fully enforced but also
strengthened in order to guarantee that workers are involved in strategic decisions at a very early stage and that they
can still have an influence on the planned measures and their social consequences. Ambitious standards on workers’
board level representation must also be achieved as this is an additional source of workers’ influence. European
legislation has a key role to play in closing the gap between national information, consultation and participation rights
and those rights developed at European levels (e.g. the Recast European Works Council Directive, the Statute for a
European company with regard to the involvement of employees Directive) in order to ensure that workers can exert
an influence at the appropriate level and strengthen their bargaining power over time.
Transnational companies have emerged as the key players and the main winners of the European integration. While
they are shaping EU economic and market integration to match their needs, they are also taking advantage of a
piecemeal EU social model which, instead of promoting European-wide social standards, is giving rise to regime
competition between countries and regions which, in turn, is fuelling a ‘race to the bottom’.
Whereas EU decision-makers urgently need to correct the legal loopholes which nurture internal competition between
national social and fiscal legislations, industriAll Europe also has to step up trade union coordination efforts in order
to put forward European responses and to counter the pressure being exerted by multinational companies. The
coordination of trade unions in sectors and multinational companies is essential to foster a mutual commitment to
move together, building common strategies, as well as to decide on joint actions at European level. Trade union
networks and alliances as well as information and consultation bodies and board-level representation – both at
national and European level – are all part of this coordination.
Restructuring and transition processes affect all companies and are a permanent feature of economic development.
However, we do not accept that the costs of restructuring and change, in our neoliberal systems, are borne exclusively
by the workers or society. Social dialogue, the involvement and participation of workers, negotiation and solid
workers’ representation structures are all essential in terms of bringing about a socially responsible management of
change. With the crisis, the social costs of restructuring have been rising dramatically. We have also seen that the
erosion of protection and substantial participation rights in the case of restructuring is leading to growing inequality
regarding the possibilities for action on the part of workers’ representatives between European countries. In some
countries, austerity measures and deregulation have weakened systems whereby previously change could be
anticipated and managed in a socially responsible way. As a result, we have seen increasing inequalities in the
treatment of restructuring across Europe, with a number of countries in which the role of workers’ representatives
and trade unions in influencing and negotiating change has been constantly undermined. At the same time, we have
also seen the positive outcomes of stronger cooperation and well-established social dialogue in other countries. It is
clear that, in order to ensure that restructuring is handled in a socially responsible way, i.e. that no-one is left
unemployed or in precarious employment, solidarity instruments, such as trade union coordination meetings, the
development of common alternative proposals and European Action Days have to be re-established and strengthened.
At the same time, new measures have to be developed to ensure that, on the one hand, change is better anticipated,
especially through ambitious training policies and, on the other hand, that a safety net is provided to workers to ensure
that no worker is left without an alternative to redundancy. The responsibility (financial and other) of companies and
in particular of multinational companies must be secured in all circumstances.
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Strengthen trade union power and industriAll Europe identity
In light of the current economic, social and political crisis we call for a fundamental change of course which redirects
the European project away from it being solely dominated by a neo-liberal agenda. The EU must urgently reconnect
with solidarity and democratic values in order to rediscover the path to prosperity for all and social cohesion.
European trade unions have been at the forefront of a European integration process that creates prosperity, social
cohesion, peace and freedom for all, as well as secure and quality employment and social justice. IndustriAll Europe
will fight for its vision of a social Europe. A solid, democratically regulated and environmentally-friendly, economic and
industrial development is a precondition thereof. However, faced with a change of paradigm that calls into question
the existing and well established compromise between capital and labour, it is not enough to call for a more social
Europe. It is time to act!
Trade unions need to adopt a more offensive strategy. To achieve this end, strong and united trade unions are
essential. The defence of workers’ interests in Europe not only lies with the strengthening of solidarity between
workers across Europe but it is also based on strong national trade unions.
IndustriAll Europe needs to address the question of how to increase trade union power. The organisation, recruitment
and retention of members must be a high priority for its national affiliates. In addition to the traditionally well
organised areas, the organising of young people, women, migrants and white collar workers must be further addressed
through targeted policies as a matter of urgency. Although this is clearly a task for the national unions, there is also a
crucial role for industriAll Europe to play in coordinating activities, policies and strategies in order to regain trade union
power. IndustriAll Europe will develop such activities focusing on the promotion of best practices and coordination of
projects and measures.
Trade union rights are a basic pillar of democratic societies, which should be defended by all in solidarity. This requires
a strong European identity for trade unions.
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