The European Union has given a social and supportive response to the various situations experienced in recent years. A response in which tripartite and bipartite social dialogue has been an essential tool to define and implement the labour and employment policies of both the Union and its Member States.

It is now time to look ahead and think about the future of work that we desire, a future that must provide answers to complex issues such as the impact of both the digital and the green transition on employment and labour relations. It is also time to reflect on the role of social dialogue in this future of work, opening up new spaces for cooperation between companies and workers and their representatives.

Social dialogue is one of the priorities of the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the field of labour and employment. It was therefore considered appropriate to organise this high-level event, which shall take place at Santiago de Compostela, a city declared a World Heritage Site in 1985.

More information here.

Programme

The event shall take place on Friday 22nd September from 9:00 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The meeting will focus on important issues concerning the future of work around three panel debates:

09:30 – 10:45 Panel 1: DEMOCRACY AT WORK

  • Moderator:
    Reiner Hoffmann, member of the European Economic and Social Committee, rapporteur for the EESC opinion on democracy at work.
  • Panelists:
    Yolanda Díaz, Second Vice-President and Minister of Labour and Social Economy of the Government of Spain.
    Ana Mendes Godinho, Minister of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security of Portugal.
    Sophia Metelius, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Employment and Integration of Sweden.
    Oliver Röpke, President of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC).
    Esther Lynch, Secretary General of the European Trade Union Confederation.
    Maxime Cerutti, Director of Social Affairs of Business Europe.
  • With the participation of the experts:
    Isabelle Ferreras, FNRS/University of Louvain, Belgium.
    Thomas Haipeter, Institute of Works, Skills and Training at the University of Duisburg-Essen.

11:15 – 12:30 Panel 2: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, ALGORITHMS AND WORK

  • Moderator:
    Nayla Glaise, President of Eurocadres.
  • Panelists:
    Pierre-Yves Dermagne, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Employment of Belgium.
    Boris Zürcher, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Training and Research of Switzerland.
    Thea Lee, Deputy Undersecretary of the U.S. Department of Labor.
    Ivailo Kalfin, Executive Director, European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions.
    Stefano Scarpetta, Director of Employment, Labour and Social Affairs, OECD.
    Cosmin Boiangiu, Executive Director of the European Labour Authority.
  • With the participation of the expert:
    Francesca Bria, President of the Italian Foundation for Innovation.

14:00 – 15:15 Panel 3: GREEN COLLECTIVE BARGAINING

  • Moderator:
    María del Carmen Barrera, member of the European Economic and Social Committee, rapporteur for the EESC opinion on green collective bargaining.
  • Panelists:
    Luka Mesec, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities of Slovenia.
    Guðmundur Ingi Guðbrandsson, Minister of Social Affairs and Labour Market of Iceland.
    Joaquín Pérez, Secretary of State for Employment and Social Economy of the Government of Spain.
    Valeria Ronzitti, Secretary General of SGI Europe.
    Véronique Willems, Secretary General of SME United.
    Tea Jarc, Confederal Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation.
    Ernest Urtasun, Member of European Parliament.
  • With the participation of the expert:
    Béla Galgóczi, Researcher from the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI).

15:15 – 15:45: CONCLUSIONS AND CLOSING REMARKS

Oliver Röpke, President of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC).
Yolanda Díaz, Second Vice-President and Minister of Labour and Social Economy of the Government of Spain.

The event will kick off with the opening remarks from the European Commission and the Spanish Presidency of the EU. Debates will be tackled in three thematic panels, which a specialist in the field as moderator. In addition to senior representatives from the Member States and European social partners, experts in the field shall also participate in each panel. To sump-up, there will be a conclusion and closing session.