By the EESC Workers' Group

Europe's industry is facing many different challenges, including extremely high energy prices, difficulty attracting skilled workforce and access to funding. In 2023, the EU put forward the Green Deal Industrial Plan, focused on achieving carbon neutrality. In her presentation of political guidelines last autumn, President Ursula Von der Leyen mentioned a 'Clean Industrial Deal' for competitive industries and quality jobs, in the spirit of Draghi's report.

Industry is an essential part of the green and digital transitions, and of our economic system. But what does this new deal mean for workers? Having a strong, unionised workforce, well paid and with good working conditions, is not just a question of trade unions, but of society at large, democracy and social stability, and productivity of companies too.

Without proper guidance and sufficient public funding, this deal could end up relying on the parts of Draghi's report and competitiveness agenda that are most in favour of deregulation. This could jeopardise the European social model by promoting a harmful competition model that fuels a race to the bottom in wages and working conditions.

To address this concern, on 14 February, the EESC Workers' Group and the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) are organising a joint conference on the European industrial policy for quality jobs at the EESC premises. We welcome all parties interested in the discussion to mark their calendars and join the discussion.