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~~Follow up to the European Parliament non-legislative resolution on the social and employment aspects of restructuring processes: the need to protect jobs and workers’ rights~~

P10_TA(2025)0039

~~Resolution tabled pursuant to Rule 136(2) of the European Parliament's Rules of procedure~~

Social and employment aspects of restructuring processes: the need to protect jobs and workers’ rights

~~Reference numbers: 2024/2829(RSP) / B10-0143/2025 / P10_TA(2025)0039~~

PE765.150

~~Date of adoption of the resolution: 13 March 2025~~

European Parliament resolution of 13 March 2025 on social and employment aspects of restructuring processes: the need to protect jobs and workers’ rights (2024/2829(RSP))

~~Competent Parliamentary Committee: Committee on Employment and Social Affairs~~

The European Parliament,

~~Brief analysis/ assessment of the resolution and requests made in it:~~

– having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, in particular Articles 151 and 153 thereof,

The European Parliament calls on the Commission to strengthen the economic governance framework by a common investment instrument at EU level supporting the EU’s current and future priorities and reiterates its previous call on the Commission and the Council to reinforce the European instrument for temporary support to mitigate unemployment risks in an emergency instrument (SURE), including for the support of workers who would be temporarily laid off in the context of the green transition. It further asks for European investments in vital sectors and essential products to strengthen the EU’s strategic autonomy. The Commission is called upon to ensure that EU funding and state aid should support industrial competitiveness, quality job creation, and compliance with labour standards, including decent working conditions. The Parliament also calls on the Commission to revise procurement rules to promote collective bargaining and strengthen socially corporate responsibility. It asks the Commission to adopt trade policies that safeguard workers and small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), ensuring future trade agreements include labour clauses in line with the standards of the International Labour Organization (ILO).

– having regard to the European Pillar of Social Rights,

The European Parliament also calls on the Commission to present an ambitious quality jobs roadmap and implement the principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights. It also calls on the Commission to ensure the full involvement and consultation of social partners in the design and implementation of the upcoming European clean industrial deal. The resolution requests the Commission to track employment trends using new tools (e.g., Fair Transition Observatory) and ensure restructuring respects workers’ rights. It calls on the Commission and the Member States to work in close cooperation with social partners to identify restructuring risks early and develop comprehensive plans to address employment and economic stability needs and to support, in that regard, investment in the training and capacity building of trade unions and workers’ representatives engaged in restructuring processes. The resolution also calls on the Commission to take action to reinforce and promote collective bargaining including by mitigating the impact of restructuring on SMEs and supply chains through targeted support. It proposes that a framework directive should address employer obligations in subcontracting chains to protect workers’ rights.

– having regard to its resolution of 5 October 2016 on the need for a European reindustrialisation policy in light of the recent Caterpillar and Alstom cases,

~~Response to the requests in the resolution and overview of the action taken, or intended to be taken, by the Commission:~~

– having regard to its resolution of 15 January 2013 with recommendations to the Commission on information and consultation of workers, anticipation and management of restructuring,

~~Paragraph 1~~

– having regard to its resolution of 16 December 2021 on democracy at work: a European framework for employees’ participation rights and the revision of the European Works Council Directive,

Regarding the call for an ambitious competitive European industrial policy, the Commission Competitiveness Compass(COM(2025) 30 final) lays out the roadmap ahead for increasing the global competitiveness of EU businesses and announces actions for closing the innovation gap, a joint decarbonisation and competitiveness plan, as well as measures to steer investments and boost European excellence in technologies for tomorrow’s economy. Moreover, the Clean Industrial Deal (COM(2025) 85 final) of 26 February 2025 puts forward concrete initiatives to strengthen the business case for competitiveness and decarbonisation, as well as horizontal enablers necessary for a competitive economy, including cutting red tape and promoting quality jobs.

– having regard to its resolution of 23 November 2023 on job creation – the just transition and impact investments,

Furthermore, regarding the call to combine this with support to resilient and strong national public services, such as access to social protection, decent and affordable housing, affordable and available childcare, elderly care, and support for people with disabilities, as announced in the Political Guidelines 2024-2029 of the President, the Commission plans to draw up a new Action Plan on the Implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights. To promote access to housing, the Commission aims to adopt a European Affordable Housing Plan and will work with the European Investment Bank on a pan-European investment platform to attract more private and public investment. It will allow Member States to double the planned cohesion policy investments in affordable housing and it will also revise state aid rules to enable housing support measures, especially for affordable energy-efficient and social housing. Central to this will be a swift and effective roll-out of the Social Climate Fund, which will notably help with renovations and access to affordable and energy-efficient housing.

– having regard to its resolution of 2 February 2023 with recommendations to the Commission on Revision of European Works Councils Directive,

Finally, regarding the call to combine this policy with support to efficient and climate neutral transport, as announced in the Clean Industrial Deal, the Commission will put forward a Sustainable Transport Investment Plan, to de-risk investment in charging infrastructure and to support the production and distribution of renewable and low-carbon transport fuels. Moreover, according to the Industrial Action Plan for the European automotive sector (COM(2025) 95 final of 5 March 2025), the Commission will adopt a Recommendation on Transport Poverty.

– having regard to the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) 2015 guidelines for a just transition towards environmentally sustainable economies and societies for all,

~~Paragraph 2~~

– having regard to the La Hulpe Declaration on the future of the European Pillar of Social Rights of 16 April 2024,

Regarding the call to strengthen the governance framework with a common investment instrument, a central fiscal capacity would be an important tool to cope with large common investment needs and/or large economic shocks, especially in the euro area. However, there is currently no consensus on this issue among Member States. Recent policy responses in the EU to crises such as the Banking Union, the European Stability Mechanism, the European instrument for temporary support to mitigate unemployment risks in an emergency instrument (SURE), NextGenerationEU and the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) as well as REPowerEU have all strengthened the resilience of the EU and sent a clear message to markets that European countries stand together in solidarity in times of crisis.

– having regard to the Tripartite Declaration for a Thriving European Social Dialogue of January 2024,

Moreover, the InvestEU programme is a common investment instrument at EU level, mobilising investment into the EU's key priorities and successfully incorporating emerging policy priorities thanks to its flexibility. All policy windows contribute to EU competitiveness and the creation of new jobs. The Social Investment and Skills Window of InvestEU supports the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights and contributes to upward social convergence.

– having regard to the Council Recommendation of 16 June 2022 on ensuring a fair transition towards climate neutrality,

On 19 March 2025, as a response to heightened security concerns, the Commission put forward a proposal for a Council Regulation to establish an emergency instrument “Security Action for Europe” (SAFE) (COM/2025/122 final). Once adopted by the Council, SAFE will provide financial assistance (loans) to help Member States to invest in key defence areas. On the same day, the Commission also adopted a comprehensive strategy on the Saving and Investment Union, aiming to ensure that all Member States benefit from strong, integrated financial markets, to facilitate private risk sharing. As announced by President von der Leyen in her Political Guidelines, the Commission will also propose a European Competitiveness Fund, as part of the next Multiannual Financial Framework, establishing an investment capacity that will support strategic sectors critical to the competitiveness of the EU, including research and innovation, and Important Projects of Common European Interest.

– having regard to the Commission communication of 11 December 2019 entitled ‘The European Green Deal’ (COM(2019)0640),

Regarding the call to reinforce SURE, the Commission notes that it was established on a temporary basis to deal with the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. It proved successful in cushioning the impact of the pandemic on the labour market and mitigating unemployment risks, while helping workers preserve their income and help businesses stay afloat and retain staff. However, as the instrument expired on 31 December 2022, it cannot be reinforced.

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/1056 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2021 establishing the Just Transition Fund,

~~Paragraph 3~~

– having regard to the Commission communication of 1 July 2020 entitled ‘European Skills Agenda for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience’ (COM(2020)0274),

Regarding the call to present an ambitious quality jobs roadmap and to implement the principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights, as announced in the Political Guidelines for 2024-2029 and reconfirmed in the Commission Work Programme for 2025, the Commission will prepare, together with social partners, a Quality Jobs Roadmap by the end of 2025. The Roadmap will support Member States and industry in providing decent working conditions, high standards for health and safety, access to training, ensuring fair job transitions, and collective bargaining.

– having regard to the opinion of the European Committee of the Regions of 25 May 2023 on zero long-term unemployment: the local and regional perspective,

Regarding the call to ensure the full involvement and consultation of social partners in the design and implementation of the upcoming European clean industrial deal and to include the overall objective of ensuring job quality and stability at EU level, on 26 February, the Commission presented the Clean Industrial Deal. The European social partners from the most concerned sectors have been consulted ahead of the initiatives by the Commission through a dedicated meeting held by Executive Vice-Presidents Ribera, Séjourné and Mînzatu. The Clean Industrial Deal identifies six business drivers and one of them is to support skills and quality jobs for social fairness and a just transition. The Clean Industrial Deal will serve as a framework for engaging in a dialogue with industries to develop sectoral transition pathways. Social partners are part of the strategic dialogues on automotive industry, steel and raw materials and chemical industry which were already launched by the Commission.

– having regard to the Commission communication of 1 February 2023 entitled ‘A Green Deal Industrial Plan for the Net-Zero Age’ (COM(2023)0062),

~~Paragraph 4~~

– having regard to Rule 136(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

Regarding the calls to adopt trade policies that promote and protect quality jobs and for future trade agreements to include labour clauses in line with ILO standards to ensure that global trade protects workers and SMEs, in its trade policy, the EU asks its trading partners to respect international labour standards, guided by the 2022 communication on “The power of trade partnerships: together for green and just economic growth”. Free trade and investment agreements play an essential role in this regard, by including obligations to promote decent work through national laws and practices. This also includes regular follow-up to ensure that commitments are put into practice. While the focus is on cooperation, the 2022 communication also foresees the possibility of temporary suspension of trade preferences as a matter of last resort in case of violations of the ILO fundamental labour principles.

– having regard to the motion for a resolution of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs,

~~Paragraph 5~~

A. whereas the transition to a green, digital and competitive European economy is necessary to maintain the European social model, but can itself only be achieved if people are sufficiently protected from the potential adverse social consequences of major economic changes; whereas protecting the environment and climate is imperative for long-term prosperity and well-being;

Regarding the call to further promote collective bargaining and the use of the social clause, and preferential treatment for companies whose workers are covered by collective agreements in the context of the forthcoming revision of the European Public Procurement Directive and the call for EU funding and State aid by Member States to be aligned with a European industrial policy, the current public procurement Directives already include several effective tools to ensure social inclusion and protection of the rights of workers in procurement contracts. They also require national authorities to ensure compliance with labour law and collective agreements in the execution of public contracts. To address remaining problems, as announced in the Competitiveness Compass and the Clean Industrial Deal, the Commission is carrying out an in-depth evaluation of the legislative framework, which will also serve to consider whether there is a need to promote the use of social clauses, enhancing social responsibility and sustainability in procurement. The Commission will make a proposal to revise the public procurement framework in Q4 2026; a draft version has recently been put up for a broad stakeholder consultation until 25 April 2025. The simplification of the rules and the introduction of EU preference and resilience elements into the new procurement legislation will also play a part in supporting the creation of decent European jobs and facilitating the use of social clauses in public procurement.

B. whereas social dialogue, collective bargaining and strong trade union involvement are essential for ensuring workers’ information and consultation rights during restructuring processes; whereas workers’ involvement through information-sharing, consultation and participation in company decision-making processes is more important than ever to ensure a fair and just transition, competitiveness, and the economic growth of companies and to protect jobs and workers’ collective interests, such as decent working conditions, fair wages and equal treatment; whereas the just transition is about supporting social justice and upward social convergence and ensuring fair burden-sharing, while safeguarding a sustainable, resource-efficient and competitive economy, reaching climate neutrality and fighting climate change;

~~Paragraph 6~~

C. whereas restructuring processes can lead to both job losses and job gains and can include and take different forms, such as internal restructuring, business expansion, closure, bankruptcy, merger/acquisition, offshoring/delocalisation, outsourcing, relocation and reshoring; whereas Council Directives 98/59/EC, 2001/23/EC and 2002/14/EC lay down the information and consultation rights of workers in the event of the restructuring of enterprises;

Regarding the call for European investments in vital sectors and essential products to strengthen the EU’s strategic autonomy, the Commission notes that the digital and green transitions are crucial for the EU's future, and investments in areas such as zero-emission transport, renewable energy, clean tech, and digital technologies, are essential for achieving a sustainable and competitive economy. To investigate how to accelerate synergies between the digital and green transitions, with a focus on their impact on labour markets and working conditions, the Commission has launched the SYGREDT project (Assessing and promoting synergies between green and digital transitions). The project includes case studies and a European survey to collect primary data on the transition's effects on task content, skill requirements, and work organisation.

D. whereas only 40 % of European trade unions report having sufficient resources to represent workers effectively during restructuring processes; whereas trade union representatives trained in restructuring negotiations are 50 % more effective in preserving jobs; whereas, according to Eurofound, a lack of resources and skills, as well as time, have been identified as a key obstacle for social partner engagement in shaping the just transition, particularly at the local and regional levels; whereas the capacity of European Works Councils to influence restructuring processes is found to be limited and needs to be further strengthened;

The Commission is also leveraging social innovations to support the transition, having selected 17 projects for funding in 2022. These projects, expected to be completed in 2026, aim to identify and address skills gaps, foster social acceptance of new technologies, and promote sustainable business models. By doing so, they will contribute to a fair and inclusive green and digital transition, ensuring that its benefits are shared by all and that no one is left behind.

E. whereas it is essential to ensure job creation and decent working conditions, supporting the transition to a sustainable and profitable economy, long-term economic viability and environmental sustainability; whereas the transformation of our industrial base provides an opportunity to strengthen European autonomy, reverse deindustrialisation, create secure and stable jobs and help us meet climate and environmental targets, while protecting workers’ rights and people at the heart of a social Europe; whereas retraining funding for workers made redundant as a result of large-scale restructuring has been provided through the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund, benefitting thousands of European workers;

~~Paragraph 7~~

F. whereas companies that are restructuring should prioritise long-term objectives, such as economic sustainability and long-term employment stability, in combination with other objectives such as economic profits, while strengthening trade union involvement and corporate social responsibility in their restructuring plans; whereas small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in particular should be supported in this;

Regarding the invitation to monitor the trends in restructuring and their impact on employment, the Commission has been monitoring these trends using data from Eurofound’s European Restructuring Monitor (ERM). The ERM was launched in 2002 to monitor the employment impact of large-scale restructuring events in the EU. Over the years, the monitoring has been expanded from only collecting company restructuring cases to a compilation of datasets and tools that can help to understand restructuring in Europe. The ERM is an important source of information also for the yearly Commission services’ report on Labour Market and Wage Developments in Europe.

G. whereas shortages of skilled workers, including vocationally trained experts, in key sectors are a significant obstacle to the competitiveness of the EU economy and its ability to accomplish the green and digital transitions;

The upcoming EU Fair Transition Observatory will share evidence on the employment, social and distributional impacts of the green transition, using standardised indicators, collecting best practices and facilitating information sharing on relevant policy measures. The Observatory will consult social partners, civil society and other stakeholders. Its work will help monitor and facilitate the implementation of fair transition policies across the European Union, ensuring that the shift towards a climate-neutral economy is both equitable and inclusive.

H. whereas the manufacturing industry, including the automotive, steel and microchips and semiconductors sectors, is one of the vital economic pillars in Europe; whereas these sectors provide millions of direct and indirect jobs;

~~Paragraph 8~~

I. whereas it is important to move towards the decarbonisation of road transport, which must be achieved in such a way as to limit job losses in the car industry, and to include all stakeholders and social partners in the transformation process; whereas affected workers should be supported by providing upskilling, reskilling and training opportunities and relevant safety nets in the event of temporary unemployment;

Regarding the call to reinforce and promote collective bargaining in full respect of the autonomy of the social partners and of the right of collective bargaining, the Commission confirmed its renewed commitment to this in the Political Guidelines 2024-2029. The Commission will first of all ensure that the existing instruments related to collective bargaining will lead to concrete progress in Member States. The Directive on adequate minimum wages contains provisions to promote collective bargaining on wages across all Member States. Member States with a collective bargaining coverage rate lower than 80% will also have to establish and communicate to the Commission their action plans to promote collective bargaining.

1. Underlines the principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights and, in particular, principle 5 on secure and adaptable employment, including the right to fair and equal treatment regarding working conditions, principle 7 on information about employment conditions and protection in case of dismissals and principle 8 on social dialogue and involvement of workers; stresses the urgent need for an ambitious competitive European industrial policy with significant investment that will support the services of general interest and innovation, while reducing the administrative burden in Member States, and deliver quality jobs in every region and sector, strengthen social progress and meet climate targets; underlines that this policy should be combined with resilient and strong national public services, such as access to social protection, decent and affordable housing, affordable, efficient and climate neutral transport, affordable and available childcare, elderly care, and support for people with disabilities;

The Council Recommendation on strengthening social dialogue in the EU, adopted by the Council on 12 June 2023, provides for the first time guidance to Member States on how to best strengthen collective bargaining. By 7 December 2025, all Member States must submit to the Commission a list of measures, drawn up in consultation with social partners, to be taken or already taken to implement this Recommendation.

2. Recognises that the EU needs to reform its economy in order to maintain its competitiveness and achieve the green and digital transitions, including through a European industrial policy; welcomes the establishment of a European Competitiveness Fund, as envisaged by the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen; reiterates its call for the economic governance framework to be strengthened by a common investment instrument at EU level in order to achieve the EU’s current and future priorities, including the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights; believes that such an instrument should ensure that the necessary resources are available in all relevant sectors for developing an industrial policy and for policies that support the protection and creation of quality jobs and that contribute to upward social convergence; reiterates its previous call on the Commission and the Council to reinforce the European instrument for temporary support to mitigate unemployment risks in an emergency instrument (SURE) to support short-time work schemes, workers’ income and workers who would be temporarily laid off in the context of the green transition, while taking into account the outcome of the final evaluation report and considering that SURE saved 40 million jobs;

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~~Paragraph 9~~

4. Calls for the EU to adopt trade policies that promote and protect quality jobs; stresses that future trade agreements must include labour clauses in line with ILO standards to ensure that global trade protects workers and SMEs;

Regarding the call to work in close cooperation with social partners to identify risks early and develop comprehensive plans to address employment and economic stability needs, the EU institutions and social partners regularly discuss employment and economic developments and related challenges in existing dedicated fora. The Tripartite Social Summit (TSS) is a biannual forum for dialogue between the EU institutions and the European social partners chaired by the President of the Commission and the President of the European Council. The discussions at the Spring 2025 TSS focused on restoring Europe's competitiveness as a place that attracts investment and creates and maintains quality jobs, in the context of an increasingly challenging geopolitical environment. The Council Presidency, the European Central Bank and the European Commission meet also twice a year with European social partners in the Macroeconomic Dialogue to discuss recent economic developments. The European and national social partners also take part in regular consultations organised by the Commission at key moments in the European Semester cycle and are also involved in the discussions of the Employment Committee.

5. Urges the Commission in the context of the forthcoming revision of the European Public Procurement Directive to further promote collective bargaining and the use of the social clause, and preferential treatment for companies whose workers are covered by collective agreements; underlines that contracting authorities must exclude from public tenders economic operators that have engaged in criminal activities; maintains that public procurement should strategically strengthen corporate social responsibility; highlights the importance of ensuring that European and national funds are used to facilitate the transition to a climate-neutral economy, including by promoting social dialogue and collective bargaining; considers, furthermore, that no EU financial support should go to undertakings that do not comply with the applicable working and employment conditions and/or employer obligations resulting from EU or national labour law or the relevant collective agreements; believes that this support should also be used to promote European industrial competiveness and the creation of quality jobs in the EU and promote collective bargaining and compliance with EU and national labour rights and laws, including decent working conditions; calls for EU funding and State aid by Member States to be aligned with a European industrial policy, in order to offer high-quality jobs, promote collective bargaining, respect of EU labour rights and standards, improve the competitiveness of European businesses and ensure improved working conditions;

~~Paragraph 10~~

6. Calls for European investments in vital sectors and essential products to strengthen the EU’s strategic autonomy, as well as the digital and green transitions, such as zero-emission transport, renewable energy, clean tech and digital technologies, including artificial intelligence; insists that these investments must fully respect existing legislation on workers’ rights and strengthen community development;

Regarding the call to support companies, including SMEs, undergoing restructuring processes in order to integrate into their plans the impacts on other European companies in their supply chain, it is of note that the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+), with its budget of EUR 142 billion (2021–2027), supports companies, employees, workers at risk of being affected by the industrial transition and unemployed people in multiple ways. It funds employment access, social inclusion, education and skills, helps workers and businesses adapt through lifelong guidance, skills recognition, coaching, outplacement, upskilling, and talent attraction. Nearly EUR 9 billion is allocated for the specific objective ‘adaptation of workers, enterprises and entrepreneurs to change’. Moreover, the Just Transition Fund also supports the economic diversification and reconversion of regions expected to be most negatively affected by the transition towards climate neutrality, including by support to small- and medium sized enterprises.

7. Invites the Commission to monitor the trends in restructuring and their impact on employment, using data from tools such as the European Restructuring Monitor and the EU Fair Transition Observatory, which should be launched in 2025, to track the number of jobs created or lost and the companies concerned;

The Recovery and Resilience Facility supports employment and active labour market policies of Member States. Around EUR 31.6 billion is expected to be invested in employment support and the modernisation of labour market institutions during the duration of RRF. The investments often accompany structural reforms to increase the functioning and inclusiveness of the national labour markets. The reforms in particular focus on measures to support job creation and the transition to new sectors and job types, boost employment and improve labour market performance and resilience.

8. Acknowledges that achieving digital and green objectives will create opportunities and might at the same time require transformations or restructuring processes in many sectors; stresses that social dialogue in the anticipation and management of these processes is essential to safeguard and create quality jobs and manage unavoidable job losses with enough support and can contribute to achieving a climate-neutral economy that sustains its social, economic and environmental standards; highlights that restructuring processes must respect fundamental workers’ rights, such as the right of information and consultation; calls on the Commission and the Member States to take action to reinforce and promote collective bargaining, in full respect of the autonomy of the social partners and of the right of collective bargaining; emphasises that workers should be beneficiaries of restructuring, including when they transfer to a new equivalent job within their current firm or sector, or as they reskill to transfer to a job in a future-proof sector, all while being adequately assisted and compensated;

On 1 April 2025, the Commission adopted its proposal to broaden the scope of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers (EGF) to also include assistance to workers affected by imminent job displacement. Companies undergoing restructuring should be enabled to request assistance in order to support the workers affected with active labour market policies, in particular up- and re-skilling measures. These should aim at mitigating the social consequences of restructuring and enable workers to transition into a new role or job.

9. Emphasises that developments leading to restructuring processes should be anticipated by management, and plans for changes should start as early as possible to prevent insolvency and job losses, while involving workers’ representatives and trade unions at an early stage to ensure meaningful social dialogue, including in the case of preventive restructuring frameworks as provided for in Directive (EU) 2019/1023; calls on the Commission and the Member States to work in close cooperation with social partners to identify risks early and develop comprehensive plans to address employment and economic stability needs; supports, in that regard, investment in the training and capacity building of trade unions and workers’ representatives engaged in restructuring processes;

~~Paragraph 11~~

10. Stresses that restructuring processes also have an impact on the supply chain and can pose a considerable risk to indirect employment across the EU; calls on the Commission and the Member States to support companies, including SMEs, undergoing restructuring processes in order to integrate into their plans the impacts on other European companies in their supply chain; further calls on the Commission and the Member States to support companies indirectly impacted by these restructuring processes to mitigate the consequences on employment;

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Upskilling and reskilling are necessary to accompany restructuring and promote a just transition. The European Alliance for apprenticeships which since 2013 promotes the offer, quality, image of apprenticeships can help to tackle skills and labour shortages. The Pact and the EU Skills Academies already support public and private organisations with upskilling and reskilling, so they can thrive through the green and digital transitions. The Commission will strengthen these to make upskilling and reskilling of workers involved in restructuring a new norm. Announced in the Union of Skills, the Skills Guarantee Pilot, with an initial budget of EUR 10 million, is a new initiative that will help workers involved in restructuring processes. It will support companies hiring or training people that have been laid off for a certain number of months, to increase their employability and job perspectives. Furthermore, transnational university-business partnerships will be set up to train people for sectors with severe skills gaps.

12. Underlines that restructuring processes must not be used as a pretext to violate workers’ information and consultation rights, as well as the right of collective bargaining and trade union rights; deplores the violation of the fundamental rights of collective bargaining and of information and consultation before a decision is made; believes trade unions should be equipped with sufficient resources and capacity to assess a company’s decision to restructure and to engage the support of an independent expert; calls on the Commission, the Member States and the social partners to put in place further safeguards to ensure collective bargaining and to prevent the misuse of restructuring processes as a means to forego employers’ obligations; underlines that penalties should be imposed in instances of infringements and non-compliance;

The Union of skills also calls for strengthening the Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVEs) to contribute to VET national reforms through private-public partnerships. CoVEs are key also for fostering the use of micro-credentials for recruitment and career purposes, focusing in particular on strategic sectors.

13. Is alarmed that European company law provisions, as well as their interpretation in some legal cases, are creating loopholes and are enabling the circumvention of mandatory national board-level participation rules;

The European Commission is working on facilitating the portability of skills and qualifications in the EU internal market through the Skills Portability Initiative, as announced in the Union of Skills communication.

14. Emphasises that one of the most effective ways to prevent the need for restructuring is through the proactive anticipation and management of change through collective bargaining and information and consultation; urges the Member States to ensure quality upskilling or reskilling, life-long learning, employee training and career development support; points out that upskilling and reskilling should be prioritised as far as possible before job cuts are considered;

The ESF+, the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and Just Transition Fund (JTF) invest in promoting the adaptation of workers, enterprises and entrepreneurs to change, with a substantial budget allocated for skills development. The EGF and RRF also supports up- and re-skilling measures, also for workers whose employment will be affected by restructuring.

15. Underlines that gender equality should be an integral part of transition strategies and should be mainstreamed across related policy and legislative measures to strengthen the fairness of our societies; believes it is essential to ensure equal treatment and equal access to economic opportunities for women, paying attention to the most vulnerable, such as women with disabilities, single mothers, women belonging to minorities and migrant women;

~~Paragraph 12~~

16. Considers that an industrial plan agreed with the social partners is essential to promote the economic viability of European industrial companies and, in the worst case, prevent closures and forced redundancies; calls on the Commission and the Member States to support companies, in particular SMEs, to prevent forced redundancies; calls on the Commission and the Member States to put in place mechanisms that help to avoid forced redundancies, such as temporary support programmes to protect employment during transitions, avoiding the loss of strategic industrial capacity and skilled workforces; calls on European enterprises and employers in the process of restructuring to devise and implement plans at an early stage in order to avoid job losses and maintain decent working conditions and high social standards, to the extent that this is possible; demands stronger protections against unfair dismissals and demands the necessary support for workers affected by restructuring to give them access to retraining opportunities and support, such as income support, including while searching for new employment; reaffirms that the dignity and rights of workers as well as the economic and financial sustainability of the company are important objectives to consider in the context of restructuring processes;

Regarding the call to put in place further safeguards to ensure collective bargaining and to prevent the misuse of restructuring processes as a means to forego employers’ obligations, EU legislation ensures involvement of workers via their representatives ahead of management’s decision-making by means of informing and consulting workers, including in case of restructuring plans. This is set out in various Directives, notably generally in the Directive 2002/14 establishing a general framework for informing and consulting employees and specifically in Directive 1998/59 for collective redundancies, Directive 2001/23 in case of transfer of undertakings as well as Directive 2009/38 on European Works Councils in case of transnational issues that could affect workers at EU-scale companies. Member States must ensure the effective implementation of Directives. All Directives provide for the obligation to ensure appropriate measures in the event of non-compliance. According to the general principles of EU law, this means ensuring administrative or judicial procedures as well as sanctions that are effective, dissuasive, and proportionate in relation to the seriousness of the offence. It remains for the competent national authorities, notably the labour inspectorates and national courts, to ensure that also in case of restructuring employers comply with the national legislation on employment and social rights, including where it transposes the EU acquis.

17. Welcomes the Commission’s announcement that it will propose a clean industrial deal that, in addition to speeding up decarbonisation, maintains and creates quality jobs in the green and digital sectors in the EU; emphasises that the clean industrial deal should focus on strategic industries, avoiding the delocalisation of production and loss of jobs, while strengthening the European social model and social justice;

Social partners play a central role in helping to anticipate, address and adapt the employment and social consequences of economic restructuring and the transitions to a digital and climate-neutral economy. As announced in the Clean Industrial Deal, the Quality Jobs Roadmap will provide support to workers in transitions. In this context, the Commission will discuss with social partners a framework to support restructuring processes at EU and Member States level. The framework will be focused on just transition, anticipation of change, quicker intervention when there is a threat of restructuring, and an improved information and consultation framework.

18. Calls on the Commission, in close collaboration with the social partners, to consider the establishment of a framework directive to address the challenges and complexities associated with employers’ obligations in subcontracting chains and labour intermediaries in Europe to ensure decent working conditions and the respect of worker’s rights; calls for the framework directive to include measures regulating the role of labour intermediaries, other than temporary work agencies, and to introduce an EU general legal framework limiting subcontracting and ensuring joint and several liability through the subcontracting chain, in order to end abusive subcontracting and protect workers’ rights and their claims over issues such as wage arrears, the non-payment of social contributions, bankruptcy, disappearances and ‘letterbox subcontractors’ who do not pay as agreed; calls for this directive to include provisions ensuring the respect of information and consultation rights and the right to collective bargaining, including for subcontracted workers;

~~Paragraph 16~~

19. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to support the social partners in their efforts to include issues related to the green transition in collective bargaining at the appropriate levels; highlights that collective agreements can cover the impact of an undertaking’s activities on the environment, the protection of workers from the effects of climate change and the impact of the green transition on working conditions; calls on the EU and the Member States to further support actions and initiatives that will incentivise employers and workers to adapt to the green transition and to make collective bargaining a key tool for ensuring balanced production models that protect the environment and create quality jobs;

Regarding the call to support companies, in particular SMEs, to prevent forced redundancies and to put in place mechanisms that help to avoid forced redundancies, the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers (EGF) can provide support to workers or self-employed displaced due to major restructuring events, including linked to digitalisation, automation and the transition to a low carbon economy. The fund allows the EU to cushion the adverse effects economic disruptions have on the workforce and to boost the EU’s economic competitiveness, while expressing solidarity with the dismissed workers. It co-finances personalised packages of active labour market policy measures, including trainings, re-trainings, job-search assistance, mentoring, entrepreneurship promotion and start-up grants, and time-limited allowances that support the participation in the measures, with the aim to equip workers with the skills needed to move into a different role, or to change jobs. The Commission has proposed to expand EGF support to make it faster and broader, allowing companies to trigger support and supporting workers affected by imminent job displacement.

20. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and the Commission.

~~Paragraph 18~~

Regarding the call to consider the establishment of a framework directive to address the challenges and complexities associated with employers’ obligations in subcontracting chains and labour intermediaries in Europe, in close collaboration with the social partners, the Commission notes that workers in subcontracting chains, as every worker in the EU, are protected by labour rights established in EU law to ensure fair working conditions as well as a healthy and safe work environment. The Commission has committed to increasing its efforts towards implementation and enforcement, which will support an effective access to these rights on the ground. The preparation of the Quality Jobs Roadmap and of the Package on Fair Labour Mobility will provide the opportunity to take stock of what has already been done and discuss the best way forward to further secure workers’ rights in supply chains.

~~Paragraph 19~~

Regarding the call to support the social partners in their efforts to include issues related to the green transition in collective bargaining at the appropriate levels, the 2023 Council Recommendation on social dialogue (C/2023/1389) advises Member States to ensure an enabling environment for bipartite and tripartite social dialogue that among other elements adapts to the digital age and promotes collective bargaining in the new world of work and a fair and just transition towards climate neutrality. Moreover, the Commission supports the implementation of the multiannual Work Programmes of 44 Sectoral and the cross-sectoral Social Dialogue Committees, often dealing with the impact of just transition. Issues related to the green transition feature in the work programmes of at least 19 out of the 44 Sectoral Social Dialogue Committees.