Register now for CESI's Winter Days 2021 - with Commissioner Nicolas Schmit

The European Confederation of Independent Trade Unions (CESI), the
Bertelsmann Stiftung and the EUobserver (media partner)

invite you to their Winter Days

The green, the digital and the social: Ensuring fair green-digital transitions in Europe

Bouche à Oreille, Rue Félix Hap 11, 1040 Brussels
Thursday, December 2 2021, 14.30-18.30; Friday, December 3 2021, 9.30-13.00
Thursday, December 2, 18.30: Glühwein-Reception
Friday, December 3, 13.00: Lunch

Moderated by Pierre Baussand, Head of Brussels Liaison Office, Eurofound

Winter Days 2021 – Fair green-digital transitions – Full programme

For Europe’s economies to re-emerge stronger from the Covid crisis and to set the pace for innovative and future-oriented green and digital societies, the European Union pursues an ambitious green-digital transformation policy agenda. To ensure that this twin transition is rolled-out in a sustainable manner which leaves no one behind, it needs socially-friendly support elements for and with workers at its core.

Experts and representatives from think tanks, trade unions, employer organisations, institutions and the civil society shall debate on ways to ensure that Europe’s bounce-back from the pandemic targets climate neutrality, digitalisation and social fairness and opportunities alike.

The questions to be debated include the following:

• What is the scope of economic, social and structural impacts that green-digital transitions bring, and why should there be a social dimension to green-digital transitions? How to help particularly affected sectors and groups of workers? What do workers and their representatives need to be prepared for and what is the importance of worker participation and social dialogue in transition processes?
• How social are the EU’s ‘Recovery and Resilience Facility’ and its the national execution plans, and what can they realistically deliver? How can workers and trade unions have a say? And what measures should be taken beyond the ‘Facility’ for more social fairness and opportunities?
• How to reform education systems from primary care to lifelong learning to ensure that students and workers are equipped for good and safe green and digital jobs? How could more resilient public services and their personnel better support social fairness? And, in any case, who is in charge of better jobs and working conditions – the EU, the Member States or trade unions and social partners?

Programme

Thursday, December 2 | 14.30-18.30

Opening of the Winter Days
Romain Wolff, President of CESI

Keynote – The green, the digital, and the social: Ensuring fair transitions
MEP Eva Maydell, President of the European Movement International – by video message

Covid fallouts on workers and employment conditions: The role of the EU
Oliver Röpke, President of the Workers’ Group of the European Economic and Social Committee

Inclusive green-digital transitions
Vic van Vuuren, Director of the Enterprises Department of the ILO and Chair of the UN’s Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE) – by video message

Coffee break

Part 1 – Parallel workshops on worker-centred green-digital transitions

• How can the digital & sustainable transformation be done in a socially fair way? Facilitated by the Bertelsmann Stiftung
• How to help the sectors and workers affected by the green-digital transitions?
• WWhat priorities for worker participation in the transition processes? Facilitated by CESI

Break

Plenary wrap-up – breakout sessions reports

Glühwein-Reception

Friday, December 3 | 9.30-13.00

Keynote – The EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility: An appropriate Covid response and fair transition tool?, Nicolas Schmit, European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights

Keynote – The green, the digital, and the social: Ensuring fair transitions
MEP Dimitrios Papadimoulis, Vice-President of the European Parliament – by video message

Part 2 – Parallel workshops on an EU Recovery and Resilience Facility for and with workers

• A social EU Recovery and Resilience Facility and national execution plans? Facilitated by the European Commission
• What can the EU Recovery and Resilience Facility deliver? Facilitated by the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS)
• How can workers and trade unions have a say? Facilitated by CESI

Coffee break

Part 3 – Parallel workshops on social fairness beyond the Recovery and Resilience Facility

• How to ensure good and safe green and digital jobs? Facilitated by CESI Youth
• More resilient public services and personnel for more social fairness? Facilitated by the European Policy Centre (EPC)
• Are we ready to seize the moment to build a more inclusive labour market? Facilitated by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
  

Break

Plenary wrap-up – breakout sessions reports

Conclusions
Klaus Heeger, Secretary-General, CESI

Light lunch