BusinessEurope Director General Markus J. Beyrer expressed his organization's stance on the EU action plan on labour and skills shortages, recently unveiled by the European Commission. Beyrer welcomed the publication of the plan, emphasizing the severity of the issue by stating, "With labour and skills shortages hitting our companies and labour markets, we welcome today’s publication of the Commission action plan to address them. This challenge is structural and will be with us for the next generation."
In addition to this, Beyrer highlighted the importance of addressing various aspects simultaneously, noting, "The Commission rightly identified the need to work simultaneously on reducing inactivity within Europe, supporting mobility at EU level, and improving Europe’s attractiveness to skilled third country nationals."
Moreover, the BusinessEurope Director General pointed out the role of social partners in enhancing working conditions through collective bargaining, stating, "The proposed plan also acknowledges that social partners are best placed to improve working conditions in certain occupations and sectors through their collective bargaining. The EU and Member States should support social dialogue solutions at EU and national level and must respect the autonomy of the social partners."
The EU's focus on tackling labour and skills shortages is crucial for the future of the European workforce, and BusinessEurope's support for the action plan reflects the urgent need to address these challenges in a comprehensive and collaborative manner.