Quelle: picture alliance/imageBROKER
10 June 2020: 6th Workers' Voice Breakfast
Social Europe remains the objective - more democracy at work paves the way out of the dark woods of the corona pandemic
The Corona crises poined out that there is the need for more democracy in the workplace. (See also the petition #DEMOCRATIZINGWORK, signed by more than 4000 academics worldwide). This will be essential not only for economic recovery but also for safeguarding and strengthening democracy crossover the EU.
The European Convention of Fundamental Rights is the foundation of workers’ involvement. Therefore, workers are citizens at the work place and at the shop floor democratizing the world of work. Unfortunately, this isn't always reflected by the legal competence of workers‘ representatives. New forms of work request new forms of participation. Corona has not interrupted the transformative processes of the economy.
Instead, the challenges workers' representatives are facing became even bigger. Strong and mandatory Workers‘ Voices as a guiding principle for sustainable companies sets the course for decent work, incomes, gender equality, human in command in case of AI, and, at the same time, for competitiveness and a liveable and healthy environment. Research has provided strong evidence of the efficiency and functionality of codetermination, both, for democracy at work and for beneficial company outcome. However, there must be political will and support for it.
Act NOW to improve workers‘ and labour union rights in EU law. The ‘Green Deal’ will only be a civil society achievement if workers are able to participate in it actively and mandatorily. Europe is at a crossroads during this crises. We want to discuss how the path towards a social Europe with a good future of work can be taken.