The European Commission and cross-industry social partners have signed a new Pact for European Social Dialogue, aimed at enhancing the role of social partners in shaping labor market, employment, and social policies. This initiative comes as Europe faces significant global transformations.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen emphasized the importance of adapting to change: “In a changing world, Europe must change too. But when technologies shift, when industries evolve, it is our social dialogue that ensures fairness and sustainable success. It turns disruptive innovation into progress for all. It keeps the wellbeing of competitive companies and workers at the heart of everything we do. With the signing of the European Pact for Social Dialogue we put the social partners and the social dialogue at the heart of European decision-making.”
The new pact sets a long-term framework with specific actions to strengthen and expand social dialogue. These include appointing a European Social Dialogue Envoy to promote consultations with social partners, collaborating on a Quality Jobs Roadmap due in 2025, and creating mechanisms for joint reports from social partners.
Esther Lynch, General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), stated: “This Pact for European Social Dialogue is our joint commitment to strengthening the involvement of trade unions at a time when workers’ voices need to be heard more than ever. Social dialogue is a cornerstone of our European democracies and of our social market model.”
Fredrik Persson, President of BusinessEurope, highlighted the pact's significance during global transformations: “The renewed commitment to strengthening European social dialogue is particularly important in this time of deep global transformations. For BusinessEurope, this Pact is about joining forces to improve the functioning of our labour markets.”
Pascal Bolo, President of SGI Europe, expressed readiness to engage constructively with social partners: “With this Pact, SGI Europe renews its commitment to shaping labour markets and social policies alongside the European Commission.”
Petri Salminen, President of SMEunited, underscored the importance for SMEs: “The Pact paves the way for stronger dialogue among social partners and with the Commission... Our SMEs must be heard, as they are at the heart of our communities.”
This pact builds on previous commitments made during the Val Duchesse Social Partners Summit in January 2024. The focus remains on enhancing EU-level collaboration to address economic challenges while promoting better working conditions across Europe.