High-calibre speakers highlighted how the industrial metropolitan region of Upper Austria is making its way towards climate neutrality.

Andreas Stangl, President of the Upper Austrian Chamber of Labour and Chairman of the Upper Austrian Trade Union Federation (ÖGB), highlighted the opportunities and challenges that the digital and ecological transformation presents for employees and the trade union movement. "It is essential that these changes are manageable in the interests of working people, that they are socially organised and, above all, that works councils and trade unions are involved," Stangl demanded.

Reinhard Streinz, Chairman of the GPA trade union in Upper Austria and Chairman of the Works Council of voestalpine Stahl employees, emphasised that it was high time to ensure a coherent, comprehensible and, above all, jointly coordinated industrial policy within the European Union. "A competitive industry in Europe maintains prosperity and provides the necessary security for a good society," Streinz is convinced.

Judith Kirton-Darling industriAll Europe’s General Secretary stressed that “Manufacturing workers across Europe have been calling for a proactive European industrial plan to deliver decarbonisation without deindustrialisation, safeguarding and creating jobs in Europe. Foundation industries like steel are instrumental to reach our climate objectives and are vital to our industrial fabric. An industrial plan must future-proof energy intensive industries and quality industrial jobs, ensuring a Just Transition, promoting up-skilling and re-skilling, and securing worker participation at all levels.”

This was followed by a joint discussion and exchange of views.

In addition to the industriAll Europe colleagues from Brussels, participants from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany and France attended the conference.The event will continue today at the AK-Bildungshaus Jägermayrhof, where trade unionists from IndustriALL Global Union in Geneva, Poland, Belgium and Italy will also be connected online.

The Basic Metals Committee of industriAll Europe is a body that deals with the interests of workers in the basic metals industry across Europe. IndustriAll represents millions of workers from various sectors, including mining, metallurgy and manufacturing. The committee campaigns for better working conditions, fair wages and safe workplaces. It promotes the exchange of best practices and supports trade unions in their efforts to achieve social justice and sustainable industrial development. Through international co-operation and solidarity, the Basic Metals Committee strives to strengthen and protect the rights of workers in the metals industry.