IndustriAll Europe’s Deputy General Secretary Isabelle Barthès participated two the panels during the European Employment and Social Rights Forum “The power of quality jobs – Europe’s path to sustainable and inclusive growth” and “The Pact for Skills and the Clean Industrial Deal: Opportunities for synergies,” where policymakers, industry representatives and social partners discussed how to support quality jobs, competitiveness and ensure a fair transformation.

Key points highlighted

Stagnating wages and declining living standards remain the most pressing issue for workers across Europe and a key aspect of quality jobs. Although inflation has slowed, the cost-of-living crisis continues to affect households. In many countries, real wages have not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels, while food and housing prices have risen sharply. 

Insufficient anticipation of the green and digital transitions is one of the greatest threats to job quality. Workers often face restructuring processes without adequate planning, information or training opportunities. Skills strategies at company level remain weak or absent, while adult training participation remains limited. Only around 37% of adults participated in training in 2016, a rate that has barely improved since.

This lack of preparation leaves workers exposed to insecurity and fuels anxiety about the future, undermining trust in the transition and risking political backlash.

Collective bargaining remains one of the most effective tools to improve job quality and ensure workers have a voice in shaping transitions. At the same time, policymakers must provide the rights and protections needed to make these ambitions possible.

Competitiveness depends on investing in people: Competitiveness and quality jobs are not opposing goals. Europe’s economic strength depends on investment in people, skills, innovation and good working conditions. Public funding should therefore support quality employment and training and public money must come with social conditions attached.

Skills are key to the Clean Industrial Deal

At the session on the Pact for Skills and the Clean Industrial Deal, Isabelle Barthès emphasised the following points:

The scale of the reskilling challenge facing Europe’s industrial workforce is massive while the number of job losses as a result of restructuring is exploding.

Social partners must play a central role in anticipating skills and employment needs, co-designing vocational education and training programmes and organising reskilling initiatives.

Equally, there is a need for a stronger Just Transition framework, including a right to training for all workers. empowering workers so that they can make the most of the transition is essential.

A place-based approach to skills policies must be promoted. Regions and territories are often best placed to mobilise the different actors involved, including companies, vocational education providers, social partners and public employment services.

In conclusion of the two panels, Isabelle Barthès concluded that Investing in skills and quality jobs is essential not only for competitiveness but also for Europe’s resilience in a period of economic and political uncertainty.