Guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States

The European Parliament adopted by 444 votes to 179, with 20 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the proposal for a Council decision on guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States.

The European Parliament welcomed the Commission’s proposal for updated employment guidelines for the Member States, in particular its strong focus on education and training, new technologies, artificial intelligence and algorithmic management and recent policy initiatives such as platform work, affordable housing and tackling labour and skills shortages. Members reiterated, with a view to strengthening democratic decision-making, their call to be involved in setting the integrated guidelines at Union level on an equal footing with the Council.

Parliament approved the proposal subject to amendments. It made a series of recommendations for the attention of Member States:

- develop a coordinated strategy for employment and in particular for the promotion of quality employment and improving working conditions, a skilled, trained and adaptable workforce, as well as labour markets that are inclusive, resilient, future-oriented and responsive to economic and demographic change;

- promote fair wages and decent working conditions, foster democracy at work, social dialogue and collective bargaining, protect workers´ rights, in order to enhance economic and social progress and upward convergence, support the green and digital transitions, strengthen the Union industrial base and achieve inclusive, competitive and resilient labour markets in the Union;

- take prevention and prompt intervention measures to reduce early school leaving, with a particular focus on students at risk. Such measures should include psychological support, mentoring, career guidance and extracurricular activities to foster students' interest and participation, to ensure inclusive and quality education for all;

- grant special attention to young people who are neither engaged in education nor in employment or training (NEETs) by promoting specific policies to reintegrate NEETs into the education system and the labour market through targeted training, mentoring, guidance and job placement programmes;

- mainstream gender equality policies in all phases of the economic governance;

- take measures to ensure wage transparency, implement monitoring policies and stimulate companies to implement equal pay action plans;

- put in place a package on quality employment including legislative initiatives on decent working conditions with regard to telework, the right to disconnect, and artificial intelligence (AI) at the workplace;

- revise the directives on public procurement to ensure they promote collective bargaining;

- adopt a ‘vision zero’ approach aiming to prevent work-related deaths, including the prevention of hazards to workers from extreme weather caused by climate change and psychosocial risks at the workplace;

- adopt a framework directive on minimum income schemes;

- increase the dedicated budget of the European Child Guarantee to at least EUR 20 billion;

- integrate climate change adaptation into social protection programmes and a framework for demand-driven direct employment initiatives to support labour-market inclusion of workers faced by labour market transformations or long-term unemployment;

- eliminate discrimination in all its forms, ensure gender equality and promote employment of young people and people over 50 years old;

- ensure equal access and opportunities for all and eradicate poverty and social exclusion, with a special emphasis on vulnerable groups, namely children, persons with disabilities, single parents, ethnic minorities, such as Roma people, LGBTIQA+ people, people living in remote and rural areas and older people;

- take the necessary actions to help deliver affordable housing for all;

- encourage the adoption of measures to reduce existing purchasing power difference between regions and within Member States;

- pay particular attention to underpaid professions, for example teachers and other professionals in education, professionals in the social and healthcare sector, transport and agricultural workers;

- put in place pension reforms supported by policies that aim to reduce the gender pension gap, including by adequately valued periods of maternity and parental leave, and to promote active and healthy ageing and decent working conditions to ensure that workers can actually remain in employment until they reach the statutory retirement age.