The World Employment Confederation-Europe is recommending putting social justice at the centre of the next political mandate in order to strike a balance between an enabling economic environment for companies and access to social protection for workers.

“Social Justice in Europe needs to be based on a new social contract, which enables an economy and labour market that protects every person, provides skills that empower and set appropriate regulation in times of digitalisation,” the WEC Europe stated.

According to the WEC Europe, EU policymakers should focus on unlocking the potential of a diverse workforce, in order to respond to the needs of workers and companies in Europe. This needs to include talent planning in the age of AI, policies to address the missing workforce and attract talent to the labour markets and a focus on creating better and fairer career opportunities for every worker, it added.

In its manifesto, The Europe We Want, the WEC identifies areas of specific interest and importance which the new European Commission and Parliament should take up.

It recommends a ‘new social contract that protects all’. This includes enabling access to social protection for all; ensuring the transferability and portability of social protection, and valuing and promoting the diversity of labour contracts as an instrument to meet workers and employers’ needs.

The manifesto also calls for skills to empower all in the labour market. This includes urgently addressing skills and labour shortages in Europe, including a focus on legal migration; ensuring fair labour mobility, the posting of workers and demand-driven legal migration; as well as designing skills policies that equip workers in diverse forms of work with the right skills to succeed. It also recommends valuing and promoting social dialogue-driven and bipartite forms of providing access to skills and training and strengthening career guidance and transition support in labour markets.

The WEC also recommended fair and appropriate regulation in times of digitalisation. This includes implementing existing European standards for the use of AI in employment; unlocking the potential of a diverse workforce in the digital age; and establishing a level-playing field for digital labour platforms based on the correct classification of labour suppliers.

The manifesto added that from 2024 to 2029, the European Commission should work with the EU member states to implement the new rules, ensure a fair level playing field, and protecting people who perform platform work.

“In partnership with public employment services, social partners and policymakers at both European and national levels, we can contribute to shaping employment and social policies and offer fair and decent employment and working conditions,” the WEC Europe added.

Last month, European Union regulators reached a provisional agreement on a proposed directive to improve working conditions for platform workers. The directive aims of helping to improve the working conditions of people working through digital platforms.