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Eurocadres raises just transition in the Pillar in Summit

On the eve before the Social Summit in Gothenburg the EU institutions met with the EU Social Partners in an extraordinary Tripartite Social Summit. Martin Jefflén, representing both Eurocadres and CEC European Managers, through the joint liaison committee of the two organisations, stressed just transition and whistleblower protection. 

The trade union delegationto the extraordinary Tripartite Social Summit 16 November 2017. Martin Jefflén, Eurocadres furthest to the right.
The trade union delegationto the extraordinary Tripartite Social Summit 16 November 2017. Martin Jefflén, Eurocadres furthest to the right.

The European Pillar of Social Rights was of course the main topic of the discussion in the Tripartite Social Summit. Both employers and trade unions on the European cross-sectoral level were in the meeting. 

Eurocadres and other European trade union organisations have welcomed the Pillar as an important shift. The praise has however been accompanied with some critical remarks, underlining that the Pillar must now be followed by a real commitment. ETUC, the European Trade Union Confederation, has called for an action plan to ensure proper implementation of the Pillar, and Eurocadres in the Tripartite Social Summit supported this call.

Up-skilling and re-skilling becomes more and more important in times of digitalisation and moving to a low-carbon economy

–We are pleased to see that one of the important topics in the Social Summit on Friday was just transition. This is also part of the first principle in the pillar. Up-skilling and re-skilling becomes more and more important in times of digitalisation and moving to a low-carbon economy, says Martin Jefflén, President of Eurocadres.

Eurocadres organises professionals and managers, whose share of the labour market has been increasing rapidly past years.

Life long learning is really a necessity on the labour market today and more must be done by both social partners and governments to improve the situation

–The fact that we see a steady growth of in particular professionals underlines that we need to see investments in education and training. Higher education can not be something just for your years as young adult. Life long learning is really a necessity on the labour market today and more must be done by both social partners and governments to improve the situation, continues Martin Jefflén.

Eurocadres of course did not miss the opportunity to raise whistleblower protection, an issue both ETUC and Eurocadres have proposed to be part of the pillar.

–We instead put our hope to a directive proposal on whistleblower protection from the Commission this spring. We have enough recommendations, in particular the Council of Europe one, and what is needed now to improve the situation for whistleblowers is a directive, concludes Martin Jefflén.