The European Commission’s ‘Platform for Coal Regions in Transition’ is a good start to try to ensure that climate action leaves no worker behind says the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC).
“EU climate policy cannot just throw workers in high-carbon industries onto the scrap heap” said Montserrat Mir, Confederal Secretary of the ETUC who took part in the launch yesterday in Strasbourg. “Decarbonisation is necessary and urgent, and it will disrupt employment in some regions. Coal regions are an obvious example. That is why action needs to be taken to plan and manage change, in close contact with social partners, so that no worker is left behind. Help is needed to ensure that these regions replace dirty jobs and industries with clean ones.”
“The ETUC hopes this new Platform will encourage change management, and help to achieve a just transition for working people and local communities. It cannot be a one-shot initiative, and needs to bring funding. It’s good to start with coal regions, but in the future, this approach needs to be rolled out to other regions presenting similar challenges”
The ETUC has long called for a ‘just transition’ to ensure continued employment in regions heavily dependent on high-carbon industries, and in a recent project brought together employers, unions and public authorities to discuss it in 7 regions across Europe https://www.etuc.org/documents/industrial-regions-and-climate-change-policies-trade-unions-perspectives-%E2%80%93-detailed-case
For more on the European Commission’s new Platform see http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-17-5165_en.htm
