Green economy & Energy Transition change Industrial Relations in Europe: Towards a more "green" social dialogue

Greening the economy

 

The International Labor Organization presents its report entitled “Green Jobs: Towards Decent Work in a Sustainable, Low-Carbon World”. This report is a study on the emergence of a “green economy” and its impact on the world of work. It includes new data that shows a changing pattern of employment in which green jobs are being generated in many sectors and economies around the world as a result of measures to tackle climate change and to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. This has also led to changing patterns of investment flows into areas such as renewable energy and energy efficiency at the household and industrial level. Within current policy frameworks, only a fraction of the potential benefits for jobs and development is forthcoming. Green jobs are decent jobs that contribute to preserve or restore a sustainable environment, be they in traditional sectors such as manufacturing and construction, or in new, emerging green sectors such as renewable energy and energy efficiency. Green jobs help:

-          Improve energy and raw materials efficiency

-          Limit greenhouse gas emissions

-          Minimize waste and pollution

-          Protect and restore ecosystems

-          Support adaptation to the effects of climate change

(ILO, Green Jobs: Towards Decent Work in a Sustainable, Low-Carbon World)

The EU really consider the involvement of Green economy and energy transition on Industrial relations and new jobs transition. In its report entitled “Towards a green economy in Europe” and in the latest report on Industrial relations in EU in 2012, EU provides some answers, presenting a detailed overview of the key objectives and targets in EU environmental policy and legislation for the period 2010 - 2050: energy; greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and ozone-depleting substances; air quality and air pollution; transport sector emissions of greenhouse gases and air pollutants; waste; water; sustainable consumption and production (SCP); chemicals; biodiversity and land use. (EEA European Environment Agency, Towards a green economy in Europe - EU environmental policy targets and objectives 2010-2050)

But as far as, we are more concerned about the transformation of Job quality and working conditions involved by EU Energy transition.

Europe faces the third industrial revolution.

The energy transition is the challenge of the early 21st century. This widely used concept is the transition from the current energy system using non-renewable resources to a new energy mix based on renewable resources. The energy transition is possible only through the mastery and use of new factors of production, new consumption patterns, the emergence of new economic circuits. The transition initiates a change in demand-driven to a political oriented policies offer a centralized to a decentralized production. The transition is a change that Jeremy Rifkin calls "third industrial revolution" process. Beyond these economic and environmental impacts, this transition has implications for the "labor markets".

The challenge and the urgency of the energy transition, the EU and its partners not commit to not
The Europe 2020 strategy for smart sustainable and inclusive growth poses five key objectives for the position should hold Europe in 2020. Among coordinated action by Member States, the 20-20-20 program is to reduce emissions gas greenhouse of 20%, a 20 % share of renewable energy in the energy supply of the EU and to achieve the goal of energy efficiency by 20 %; and 2020.

In another program "Roadmap to a competitive low carbon by 2050 " (2050 Low Carbon Roadmap ), the European Commission proposes measures to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases by 80% 95% by 2050 compared to 1990 levels .

Through its Europe 2020 Strategy, the EU reiterates its willingness and commitment to build a more competitive and sustainable economy of resources. This strategy involves the participation of all stakeholders. Social partners can play a key role and their participation is gradually increasing, although the European picture is far from homogeneous.

In this regard, a 1994 study by Eurofound Foundation in ten EU -15 showed that the social partners did not feel concerned by environmental issues, except matters relating to health and safety at work. Since the 2010 report on industrial relations has shown a change in the consideration of the social partners. In most member states, they have largely influenced the debate, through lobbying, consultations, organizing forums and multi- tripartite collective agreements. The social partners have initiated a number of actions relating to the control of resources, reduction in the rate of carbon in the production process, but also training, counseling, support for the research and development of environmental labels, etc.

 

 

 

 

 

New skills for Green Job

 

Through the "New Skills for New Jobs" initiative, the EU aims to better anticipate emerging needs for skills, to better adapt to the skills needs of the labor market and strengthen the link between the supply and demand.

The impact of greening on the quality of jobs is unknown, but the energy transition promotes the creation of new jobs (jobs in knowledge-intensive sectors of the energy efficiency and renewable energy), processing existing jobs in "greener" jobs, but also the destruction of some. In this sense, the social dialogue must adapt to the "greening" of the labor market.
On the employee side, the international trade union confederations ITUC Congress in Vancouver adopted the concept of a "socially fair and ecologically sustainable" transition. This program includes investments in sectors with high technological value "green".

For employers, representatives stressed the importance of maintaining the level of competitiveness by ensuring international visibility, encouraging SMEs, facilitating training, access to funding and maintaining a low level regulatory constraints , to play their full part in discussions on climate change.

Despite these changes, the social partners do not assume that the transition is necessarily positive. Social actors believe that this process will impact primarily on the dimension of skills and training, while careers and job security, working time and leisure, health and safety and infrastructure social will be less affected. In this case, many initiatives and collaborations are taken to facilitate the greening of industry. OPCA networks in France, the Euroneff projects in Romania, Germany FAINLAB promote training in environmental innovation in "greener" construction. Lindoe Offshore Renewable Centre funded by the Copenhagen area develops programs of research, training and projects in the offshore wind energy. EUREM the "European Energy Managers ' networks provide standardized training on climate protection and economic production process in terms of energy.

The slow green transition of the labor market

Social dialogue takes place mainly in areas where the social partners are already well represented. In emerging industries, social dialogue is uncommon or absent. The increased production of energy from sustainable resources is a priority on the European agenda and in many member states. These strategies have been widely supported by support measures and financial programs.

However, aid and support measures have been reduced because of the conditions of austerity and declining energy prices. While incumbents produce energy from sustainable resources, there are a large number of SMEs and decentralized producers. Most of them are very small businesses in remote areas, and thus outside the scope and sphere of interest of the social partners. Multiplication and decentralization of energy producers redraw the contours of social dialogue in Europe. The side of employers, many professional associations have formed the intent to represent the companies in the sector, but they have not yet acquired the status of social partner organizations in their own right that would give them a right of negotiation. The union side, there are examples of active recruitment strategies in emerging sectors, but only in a few countries, such as German, Portugal and the United Kingdom.

The sub-sector of renewable energies is represented by incumbents in cases where production has existed for some time in a country or when historical energy producers supply from renewables. For example , representatives of trade unions and employers are very involved in Austria , the United Kingdom, Denmark , Ireland (including union representatives and public-private partnership sectors ), Greece , Lithuania ( in the water sector ) Slovakia, Slovenia , Bulgaria, etc. . In other countries, there are few representatives whether employers or unions. In France, emerging industries have little impact on industrial relations; Spain, business associations or unions are not involved in these issues. In other countries such as the Czech Republic, Hungary, the Netherlands, we know little about industrial relations in these areas, but we assume that the representation is low because of the low level of employment of sector. In a limited number of member states , unions are working hard to improve their representation in the areas of renewable energy , for example , the German IG Metall union seeks to organize the representation of workers in the solar and wind industries, without arrive at the conclusion of sectoral collective agreements for these two industries. In Latvia, two new unions from the renewable energy industries have joined LAB Energija (historical union). Portugal and SINDEL FIEQUIMETAL recruit new members and develop more specific organizations renewables. In Sweden, the union is trying to SEKO persuaded some employees wind turbines, previously represented by the union IF Metall, to leave the union , in particular because of disagreements about the working conditions in the wind power plants. Malta and Cyprus, the renewable energy sector is still in its infancy and there are no recorded attempt to set up a performance.

Green Job ... Better Job?

The 2012 Eurofound report highlights the impact of the transition energy on the quality of employment and conditions of employment: skills development, job security and career paths, health and well -being, balance between professional life and personal life. It appears an improved level of qualification and training (80% of respondents). But neither the ratio between working time and time off from work, or social infrastructure not appear to undergo any improvement. The impact of climate change will be less significant on career paths and job security, on issues of skills development. However, employees working in companies with more environmentally friendly practices believe that this will have a positive impact on health and reduction of occupational risks.

Sector by sector, developments are noteworthy:

- For example, in the construction sector, many workers are self-entrepreneurs, greening the sector may have an impact on career paths and job security.

- These regions are subsidized (shipping for the establishment of offshore wind). This would have an impact on working conditions, the working time and mobility. Some employees live far from these regions affected by these structural changes; they are forced to migrate to coastal areas.

- In this industry dominated by men, the greening of the sector may lead to the creation and the feminization of certain jobs.

- The energy sector may also experience a feminization of employment, given new jobs.

- In the petrochemical industry, environmental regulations have an impact on the skills and qualifications, but also in terms of "green marketing" and environmental communication or in the emergence of new environmental technologies (biotechnology, genetics, etc.)

The European commitment to move to a low- carbon future is very clear. However, recent austerity measures dictated by causing a decline in government subsidies, tax incentives, feed-in tariffs and other government assistance, could slow the greening process. Like any other young industry, green areas are faced with competitive pressures (overcapacity in Asia). Strengthening and promoting the activities of the social partners at all levels (at company level, regional, sector, national and European) are essential if we want a successful transition to a green economy.