(28 May, 2025) The Social Dialogue Committee for Central Government Administrations (SDC CGA) met on 22 May 2025, discussing key challenges for the sector, including digitalisation, inclusion, green transition and job quality.
The meeting opened with a celebration of the recent signing of the revised multisectoral guidelines on third-party violence and harassment (TPVH). As the Commission’s press release indicates, the guidelines cover over 50 million workers across five sectors particularly exposed to TPVH: central/federal governments (not least prison services), local and regional authorities, hospitals, education, and HORECA (hotels, bars and restaurants).
Social partners then returned to the long-running process around the legislative implementation of their digitalisation agreement of 6 October 2022. They responded to the Commission’s legal remarks in October 2024 and have since awaited further feedback. The Commission has made progress contingent on a separate consultation process on telework and the right to disconnect, launched in June 2024. In response, the social partners adopted a joint memorandum outlining next steps.
The committee also debated a draft checklist designed to encourage stronger social dialogue - including collective bargaining - on the green transition. The checklist outlines key principles and actions and is expected to be finalised before summer.
A planned EU social dialogue project on better inclusion of workers with disabilities was also discussed. The project aims to explore how to attract and retain workers with visible and invisible disabilities in central government, while also addressing the prevention of work-related disabilities due to accidents or psycho-social risks. The project will feature regional seminars and conclude with a final conference in Spain.
Finally, the Commission presented an outline for its upcoming Quality Job Roadmap, due by the end of 2025. While not a formal consultation under Article 154 TFEU, social partners are invited to submit written feedback by 1 July. TUNED and EUPAE committed to preparing a joint contribution calling for a roadmap that benefits public service workers and reflects a broad definition of competitiveness, as set out in the new EU Social Dialogue Pact.
The meeting addressed a number of persistent challenges: labour shortages driven by low pay and difficult working conditions; high workloads; limited resources for in-house training; weaker career prospects in the public sector compared to the private sector; and psycho-social risks, including workplace violence.
The Committee will reconvene on 23 October.
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