(EN) TWINING

Recommendations for successful employee participation and joint social dialogue initiatives

Although the transition to digital is inevitable, it is also essential. The advantages of this transition for workers and society at large can only be realized if these procedures are open, inclusive, and give everyone who is interested the chance to participate and contribute. In order to ensure that the costs and benefits are distributed fairly across every sector of society, it is imperative that the “twin” transition is implemented in a fair and equitable way.

The main priorities are:

• Maintaining current employment,
• Retraining employees for new skills, and
• Making sure that no one is excluded or left behind throughout the transitional period.

In order to combat climate change and advance long-term sustainability, the twin transition seeks to lessen the environmental impact of industrial activity.

Making sure that no one is excluded or left behind throughout the transitional period.

Analyzing all submitted reports from the partner countries, we can draw certain conclusions that are general and can be generally applied in the period of the twin transition. Employees and those impacted must be included in the process from the beginning.

Making sure that these actions help local communities and the environment as a whole, in addition to workers and businesses, is also a priority.

To guarantee that their concerns are taken into consideration and that they may participate in decision-making, workers have several methods for dialogue, consultation, and involvement.

Human – centered approach – Transition processes must be individual/citizen-centered, or human-centered, in order to be just; operations must also be managed responsibly and sustainably to ensure that everyone has equal opportunities. Workers are affected by all the digital and green transition activities in various ways. As a result, some of the crucial phases of this transition include employee retraining and training within the business; communication with the general public, with particular people or communities; and dissemination of information regarding the rights, responsibilities, benefits, and laws that apply to each individual as the industry moves toward Industry 5.0.

Public-private partnerships, training programs, and government legislation can all be very helpful in ensuring that no worker is left behind and that workers are prepared for this paradigm change.

Preparing our workers – While some workers might be well-equipped to adjust to changes in technology and the surrounding environment, others would require more assistance in the form of education, retraining, and gaining new skills.

Appropriate strategies and guidelines – a coherent and well-thought-out Guidelines for the twin transformations, particularly the resulting change of the workplace should be made. Workers and management require not only a clear vision and high goals at this point in the transition, but also specific action plans and solutions that are suggested for the most vulnerable sectors of the economy, geographical areas, or social groups. Enhancing faulty legislation, unclear processes, and even inadequately translated EU materials and guidelines making them even less readable should also be at top priorities.

Workers and management require a clear vision and goals!

Strengthening the support system for SMEs – Smaller firms can find it difficult to maintain the change on their own. In this regard, assistance ought to include both financial initiatives and the cultivation of the expertise and abilities required for the shift. Supporting SMEs in implementing and reporting on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) strategies is one example of this. Small and medium-sized enterprises and startups would profit immensely from the new measures, which will also enhance the single market, lessen reliance on suppliers, and hasten the transition to a greener and digital economy. Targeted policies are also required, including those that strengthen resilience, fight late payments, and promote solvency.

Protecting the labor market – The twin transition presents a fantastic chance for numerous new, desirable jobs. Creating programs based on the “job to job” concept and connecting the distribution of funds for development activities to the provision of high-quality jobs are two of the proposals put out by the respondents.  One prerequisite that ensures the success of these procedures is the development of plans for a smooth transfer of corporate processes with the goal of maintaining jobs.

The fundamental idea is that employees who lose their jobs should start working somewhere else right away, and their prior company would be the one to initiate the retraining process.

Trade unions are workers allies in this twin transition!

Improving the social dialogue – A key initial step in creating a just transition is realizing the significance of communication with workers and trade unions at all levels (with employers, at the sectoral or branch level, and eventually at the national level). It will not be possible to apply the presumptions of a just transformation or discover solutions to extremely complicated challenges without an ongoing and mature social dialogue. Because the effects of these changes will directly affect employees, or citizens, trade unions and employees must impose themselves on businesses, the government, and local self-governments as necessary partners in these processes. To be fair and helpful partners to decision-makers at all levels, trade union representatives must therefore gain the knowledge and expertise required to handle this issue. The state, businesses, and trade unions should all be far more proactive in anticipating and addressing the social effects of the double transition. In addition, the state must sufficiently incentivize social partners to address these issues by offering financial incentives to employers and promoting a two-way social dialogue about them. In this area, the state must also more fully incorporate the social dimension into strategic documents and public policies.

Improving the collective bargaining system – A bipartite social dialogue covering problems related to the twin transition would benefit from improved procedures and the creation of a collective bargaining framework. Consequently, the government ought to be more proactive in promoting collective bargaining at the sectoral and individual employer levels, but also at national level.

Everyone at its own pace, but no one left behind!

Enhance the energy transition – A lot of manufacturers are investing in decarbonizing their technologies. But for these initiatives to be truly effective, low-cost, renewable energy sources and effective strategic infrastructure—particularly transmission networks that have been modified to fit the new paradigm—must be made available.

The government should design policies that would boost agricultural output and revitalize rural communities by providing financial assistance, tax breaks, and assured purchases of goods from regional producers.

Protecting the ecology – Put an end to the ongoing destruction of the environment and implement a zero-tolerance policy for unauthorized construction in national parks, on lakeshores, riverbanks, and seashores. Wealthy people and big corporations have effectively privatized public land, making it impossible for current and future generations to use these resources. The only requirement for generating new employment in the fields of agriculture, energy, food manufacturing, and the green economy is the ethical, accountable, and truthful administration of the concepts of environmental protection and sustainable development.

Investing time and resources – Eighty percent of the steps that businesses and the state have taken to execute the twin transition depend on financial resources and investments. Although they are not a clear prerequisite, they do greatly accelerate the adoption of innovation and the time it takes to see results. Regarding the twin transition, time is another important factor. Some industries are undergoing a rapid transition, while others are experiencing a delayed change because of the nature of the industry (agricultural), and yet others are undergoing a continuous change as a result of improved technologies and higher workforce capacity.

Employers have an obligation to protect workers’ rights at all times, but trade unions also have an obligation to make active use of these rights!

Encouragement of worker participation in decision-making –  It is fundamental that workers representatives participate more actively in social discourse and receive more training on Industry 5.0 and the Green Deal. Employers and trade unions must to collaborate to enhance and broaden the extant legislative structure regarding worker consultation and information.

Increasing the level of unionization – this will foster collaboration between various trade union groups operating under the same roof or in the same industry, as well as strengthen workers’ sense of belonging and confidence in the trade union movement. Аlong with enhancing the union’s function by actions taken at the national level, actions taken in the employer-union relationship, and enhancement of the unions’ own authority and representativeness.

FAQ – frequently asked questions

• Is the double transition real?

Yes, digitization as a process started with the 4th industrial revolution, and the 5th has already started. The fifth industrial revolution is deeply focused on environmental efficiency, that is, the use of renewable energy, improved energy efficiency, zero carbonization and environmental protection. While previous revolutions focused on mass production, cost reduction, and revenue growth, this latest industrial revolution addresses nature and environmental conservation by mitigating climate change and reducing carbon emissions.

• Does this mean job losses?

New changes in the world of work mean new jobs that require new competencies, but this does not necessarily mean that we will immediately face increased unemployment. The bottom line is that new technologies make work easier; they do not necessarily lead to job losses but to the need for qualified workers who will supervise and manage the work processes; in other words, this means a demand for a different set of skills. Certain categories of workers who will not be able to adapt to the changes will inevitably lose their jobs, but therefore measures should be taken to prevent or mitigate these situations.

• How can workers take part in this transition?

Workers can participate in these processes through consultation processes with employers. But in order to be able to participate in decision-making, they must first be informed about all the changes that are happening in the company. This means that management should provide timely access to meaningful and comprehensive up-to-date information on the likely impact of the dual transition on the economic performance of the enterprise, on jobs and working conditions, and that workers, through their representatives, demand to sit down and discuss the expected changes with the decision makers, including the top management, who should take into account the suggestions and suggestions of the employees when making the decision.

• How can trade unions help in this processes?

During this period of transition, social dialogue and mutual cooperation are essential, trade unionism needs to be reinforced, and unions need to project the image of being powerful organizations prepared to defend their members’ rights.  A higher degree of unionization will encourage cooperation between different trade unions in the same company or sector, which will enhance workers’ sense of belonging and confidence in the union.

• How can workers protect their individual rights from employment?

Workers can protect their employment rights in several ways. One way is through a written request to the employer where they will request the exercise of their rights or the removal of any violation of rights from the employment relationship they are facing. Another way of protecting their rights is before the institutions, inspectorates, agencies, etc. or before the court in court proceedings. Workers can also protect their rights through unions, where they can apply individually or collectively in order to protect and exercise their rights.

• Does the ecological transition mean safe and healthy workplaces?

The ecological transformation can help make workplaces safer and healthier. Adopting sustainable methods, cutting pollution, and enhancing environmental health are frequently part of this transition, which can improve the quality of the air and water. These upgrades can lower health hazards for employees and make workplaces safer. As previously stated, the new way of working is human-centered and places a strong emphasis on the wellbeing of employees, including ergonomics and mental health, encouraging a more holistic approach to workplace safety. Thus, the ecological transition strives for social justice, enhanced quality of life, including safe and healthy workplaces, as well as environmental sustainability.

• Are unions ready to face the digital transformation?

New jobs are largely created as a result of the development of new technologies, so there are entire industries such as IT, marketing, various service activities, etc., that have not traditionally been unionized. The globalization of jobs, especially through the Internet, allows workers to work as so-called freelance, or the so-called platform workers, who work on virtual platforms. These workers are extremely difficult for unions to reach. In this context, flexibility is needed on the part of the unions themselves, both in the way of working, fully modernizing, and digitizing, through access to various digital tools that would help it in its work as well as in terms of the integration of this type of worker not only as members of the trade unions but also in the management structure, that is, in the administrative and decision-making bodies of the organizations.