Ref. Ares(2020)2867104 - 03/06/2020
Ref. Ares(2021)3535027 - 28/05/2021
26 concrete demands to direct EFBWW priorities in the coming 12 months
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a European and global sanitary, social and economic crisis.
It will have an enormous impact on our industries in the coming years. Our Strategic Plan and the
resolutions which the General Assembly adopted are still valid. But in the light of the current crisis we need
to re-focus. The EFBWW political COVID-19 motion addresses some of these concerns. The concrete
demands presented here complement the motion.
The EFBWW set up a specific COVID-19 webpage to assist affiliates to share their experiences and good
examples. The EFBWW has also agreed on joint positions with the European employer federations in our
industries to address the most urgent needs for workers and companies and launched a first joint appeal
for recovery measures. Together with the ETUC and ETUF’s, the EFBWW has developed joint positions and
joint lobby efforts to tackle different sanitary, social, economic aspects of the crisis.
Our industries are crucial for a quick economic recovery and a just transition towards a carbon neutral
society in 2050. There will be no sustainable recovery without full participation of trade unions.
Occupational Health & Safety
The COVID-19 crisis endangers the health of workers in all aspects of the working life. Sound protection
strategies are essential for workplaces and work related activities of all type of employees for the fight
against the virus. Precarious workers are particularly vulnerable. The social partners – supported by policy
makers – must adopt a strategy and coordinated action. It must be tailor-made for the specific working
conditions. We also need the adaptation of the EU OSH law, especially the revision of the biological agents’
directive.
What we demand:
x The implementation, surveillance and enforcement of existing H&S rules with special regard to Covid-
19 risks. An enforcement of the role of trade unions on the work place related to H&S matters. An
enforcement of national labour inspectorates and a significantly increased number of controls to
protect all workers.
x Protection measures for all aspects of the working conditions and related activities with
comprehensive involvement of worker representatives and trade unions.
x An updated concept for the risk assessment of working conditions, including the significantly
increased share of home office work and related mental health risks.
x A revision of Recommendation 2003/670/EC concerning the European schedule of occupational
diseases to specifically include Covid-19 and applying to all workers disproportionately exposed to
infection risks.
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What we will do:
x Support our affiliates by sharing best practices online and through the work of the OH&S
coordination group
x Support our affiliates to enforce a “protect and prevent” strategy: No return to work without clear
H&S standards at the workplace, including a risk assessment and measures to avoid a rebound.
x Lobby jointly with the ETUC and the other ETUFs for the recognition of COVID-19 as an occupational
disease.
x Lobby jointly with the ETUC and the other ETUFs for the inclusion of the Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 into
group 4 of Annex four of the Biological Agents Directive that deals with the protection of workers
against biological substances, including viruses.
Democracy at work and social dialogue
The COVID-19 crisis has affected all workers and companies, but this impact differs a lot across sectors.
The management of the crisis clearly demonstrates that autonomous sectoral industrial relations are a
powerful, effective and efficient tool to manage crises and to achieve social progress and tackle specific
needs and challenges.
What we demand:
x The ambitious implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR) as a flagship social
initiative of the European Commission which commits the EU to a “Social Triple A”.
Fundamental
principles of the EPSR such as ‘Equal Opportunities and Access to the Labour Market’ (Chapter I), ‘Fair
Working Conditions’ (Chapter II), and ‘Social Protection and Inclusion’ (Chapter III) require that all
Member States acknowledge, foster, promote and support national sectoral industrial relations
.
x Extra European funding to support and to strengthen social dialogue on company, sectoral, national
and European level and a European framework to protect and facilitate sectoral collective bargaining
and fundamental collective rights of trade unions, including the right to access worksites, to organise,
to be informed and consulted and to participate in decision-making, and to take industrial action on
national and EU level.
x A revised and strengthened European framework for information and consultation in multinational
companies. EWCs must be actively involved in all decision taking related to the COVID-19 crisis.
Effective and dissuasive sanctions must be in place to enforce workers representatives’ rights
enshrined in the EWC directive and the national law implementing it.
x A revised and strengthened European framework for transnational company restructuring and the
implementation and enforcement of existing workers representatives’ and union rights in this regard.
x Revision of the European Framework Directive on Occupational Safety and Health (89/391) and the
Directives on the information and consultation of workers to ensure the comprehensive worker’s
participation in any OSH measures of companies, including the right to initiatives in this field.
What we will do:
x Monitor the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on membership figures. Support the exchange of best
practices of organising between affiliates with a focus on recruiting new members and retention of
members.
x Further develop our Corona webpage to assist affiliates in sharing good practices in tackling the
COVID-19 crisis in our industries.
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x Through the OH&S coordination group, exchange and develop good practices to support and foster
representation of worker representatives and trade unions in all aspects of the companies OSH policy
and foster concepts of direct participation of workers.
x Together with ETUC and ETUF’s lobby for an urgent revision of the EWC Directive and the Directives
related to information and consultation in the case of transnational restructuring.
x Through the EFBWW EWC coordinators, we will support EWCs and transnational trade union
networks in our industries to anticipate Covid-19 related measures in MNCs: Holding up H&S
standards across borders, a coordinated trade union responses to the forecasted COVID-19
restructuring wave and the prevention of massive layoffs are on the top of the agenda.
x Together with the European employer federations in our industries, we will contact the European
Commission to demand more financial support for the sectoral social dialogue in our industries on
company, sectoral, national and European level.
x Together with the European employer federations in our industries we will demand an active role of
the European sectoral social partners in the management of the COVID-19 crisis on European level
and in the European relaunch strategy afterwards.
x Continue to promote and foster the industrial relations in the construction and wood and furniture
industries Central, East and South-East Europe.
Economic Relaunch of our industries
We cannot go back to business as usual after this crisis. We want a paradigm shift towards an economic
rationality based on sustainable investment for economic stability and social cohesion. Existing business
models based on precarious work, social abuse and fraud must be abandoned. We want sustainable jobs
and businesses. Workers organisations must be involved in the design and the implementation of new
industrial models for all our sectors. The European Green Deal should be a starting point for the economic
relaunch and just transition of our industries. The relaunch of our industries should be built on social
progress.
What we demand:
x An ambitious investment plan for new European infrastructure and to update and maintain existing
infrastructure.
x Speeding up the start of the Renovation wave with specific attention to affordable housing and
initiatives to combat energy poverty.
x An ambitious, social European Green Deal connected to a well-financed COVID-19 recovery strategy,
designed as a just transition instrument to the benefit of the workers in all our industries, and
especially the more energy-intensive sectors.
x All public and private investments made as part of the recovery measures should create direct
employment and stable jobs.
What we will do:
x Adopt the EGD position paper and lobby for an ambitious and social Green Deal to implement a just
transition towards a carbon neutral Europe in 2050.
x Active participation in the Renovate Europe alliance and lobby for an acceleration of the renovation
rate in member states.
x Task the collective bargaining working group of the Standing Committee Building with preparing an
inclusive and ambitious policy paper on the Future of Work in the construction industry.
x Discuss the challenges of digitalisation at a special meeting of the European Sectoral Social Dialogue
Committee of the construction industry.
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x Present an updated policy paper on a progressive European industry policy for the Forest Based
Industries.
x Together with ETUI organise a training seminar for our affiliates on the EGD and the impact of
digitalisation in our industries.
Equal treatment – fair mobility for all workers
The COVID-19 crisis has once again demonstrated the dichotomy of the European labour market. The
growing precarisation in our industries has shown its most ugly side in this crisis. There is a growing number
of posted workers, bogus self-employed, zero-hour contracts, on-call contracts, temporary agency
workers, mini-jobs and freelancers. The fundamental principle of "equal pay for equal work in the same
workplace" does not apply to many workers with precarious working conditions. And the so-called
coordination of social security systems proved for many posted workers to be fiction. Posted workers often
work and live in places where no social distancing is possible. Some are sent home in packed buses; others
could not work because they were put in confinement. Isolation and precarisation, the lack of transparency
and very limited access to information, consultation and assistance and reduced inspections is part of their
reality. This is totally unacceptable. We demand full equal treatment and a strong social protection for all
workers.
What we demand:
x Strengthened national short-term work schemes, which should be inclusive, adequate and available
as long as needed. On EU level, SURE must be adopted and implemented as quick as possible and
with the support of all Member States. In a second step, the Commission should swiftly introduce
the proposal for the European Unemployment Reinsurance Scheme.
x A swift implementation of the Directive on Transparent and predictable working conditions
(2019/1152) to ensure that all workers are entitled to proper information regarding their wages,
working conditions, health and safety standards, professional training standards and all other
workers’ rights on information, consultation, to organize and to industrial action.
x Stronger measures against undeclared labour and Income protection for workers in the undeclared
economy who have no access to support schemes to avoid that these workers are pushed in poverty
or are obliged to work in very unsafe and unhealthy conditions.
x The ambitious and swift transposition of the Posting of Workers Directive (PWD) in all Member States
with the active involvement of (sectoral) trade unions.
x Urgent initiatives to increase OH&S for posted workers taking into account their specific working and
living conditions.
x To allow posting of workers only in a strictly controlled and enforced environment, based on equal
rights for workers and clear obligations for the companies.
x New clarifications and enforcement tools to ensure that posting is only an exceptional temporary
activity, as foreseen in the PWD.
x Interdiction to organise posting via intermediaries, such as temporary work agencies.
x An improved European system of cross-border social security with better information, and better
monitoring and enforcement tools to provide better social protection and fight cross-border social
fraud.
x A fair European cross-border employment system with optimal cooperation between all national
inspection services and trade unions. The European Labour Authority (ELA) should become
operational as soon as possible.
x A new European framework for decent and high quality working conditions for all workers with
special regard to the protection of migrant workers.
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What we will do:
x Prepare a policy document to assist affiliates with the implementation and application of the
Directive on Transparent and predictable working conditions (2019/1152).
x Review the application of and compliance with the posting rules and practices in the light of the
COVID-19 crisis and propose additional remedial measures to allow the application of temporary
cross-border posting within the framework of equal treatment and an adequate prevention, control
and compliance.
x Organise a campaign to strengthen equal treatment for all workers, including equal pay and working
conditions, social protection and security, health and safety, access to professional opportunities and
equal workers' rights.
x Lobby the European Commission to enhance the European exchange of social security data and the
introduction of a European social security number/card.
x Lobby for a swift and ambitious revision of Regulation 883/2004 by the European institutions.
x Introduce ECMIN 4.0 as a follow-up project to properly inform posted workers about their rights and
further develop trade union networks as a tool to support posted workers to enforce these rights.
x Through the Standing Committee Building and the Executive Committee, update our policy
documents with proposals to fight undeclared work and combat all forms of cross-border social
security fraud and abuse. The Strategic Group will prepare a draft document.
x Participate in and influence the campaign of the European Commission against Undeclared Work.
x Lobby to make the European Labour Authority operational and get to work as quickly as possible.
Gender equality in our industries
Female workers represent around 10% of the total construction workforce and around 30% of the wood
and furniture sector. The COVID-19 crisis has also shown a specific gender dimension. The expected
increase of female workers in our industries demands a mental transformation and a transformation of
the specific organisation of the work on construction sites and in companies taking into account and
accommodating specific needs of female workers to improve working conditions for all and realise equal
treatment.
What we demand:
x That the Commission presents the proposal for an EU Directive on pay transparency to close the
gender pay gap as soon as possible. The COVID-19 crisis is no excuse to delay its adoption.
x Targeted initiatives to make our industries more attractive to female workers with specific attention
to the specific gender dimension raised by the COVID-19 crisis.
What we will do:
x Together with the ETUC, the EFBWW Women’s Network will send a letter to the European
Commission concerning the Gender Pay Transparency Directive. The letter will include concerns
related to the EFBWW sectors and the gender pension gap.
x The EFBWW Women’s Network will assist the Standing Committees and the Executive Committee on
how to further introduce the gender approach in the EFBWW work and how to include gender
themes on the agendas of the European Social Dialogues in our industries, as well as in the themes
treated by the EWCs and the European and International trade union networks.
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