Utilities, Health and Safety, Social Dialogue

The European Sectoral Social Dialogue for Gas was first established in 2008 with a reinforcement of actions in 2019 and is supported by the European Commission, DG Employment, Social Affairs, and Inclusion.

Over the past 2 years the European Social Partners in the electricity sector, industriAll European Trade Union, the European Public Service Union (EPSU), representing the trade unions and Eureletric, representing the employer organisations have engaged together with Spin360, in the project Skills2Power.

EPSU joined a dedicated hearing with social partners on the “sustainable corporate governance initiative” organised by Commission’s DG Justice and Consumers.

Does the European Parliament think that the circular economy will be solely operated by robots, machines, and artificial intelligence?

Last week, the European Social Partners in the gas sector held a joint webinar, hosted by MEPs Agnes Jongerius (S&D) and Dennis Radtke (EPP), on the transition to climate neutrality and the need to ensure that is just for the workers in the gas sector.

Press Release - Today the European trade union federations, EPSU and industriAll, and the industry association Eurogas, adopted a common position on the Just Transition in the Green Deal.

Last Friday, 23rd October, Vera Weghmann from the Public Service International Research Unit presented her recent report, “Safe Jobs in the Circular Economy - Health and Safety in Waste and Wastewater Management” in a webinar organised by EPSU

A new report commissioned by EPSU highlights the crucial role and often high-risk labour of the workers involved, who have largely been ignored in both research and policies relating to the circular economy.

The European Commission adopted a European union circular economy action plan in March 2020. EPSU organised a discussion with Virginijus Sinkevičius, the Commissioner responsible.

The coronavirus pandemic has now infected more than 2 million people worldwide and caused over 145,000 deaths. Like so many other key workers, workers in the waste collection, water and energy distribution sectors are risking their lives

In these times of public health crisis, digital technologies enable the electricity sector to keep the lights on, adapting traditional models from generation to smart infrastructure in our constantly transforming industry.

There is a number of websites that provide useful information and guidance on responses to the COVID-19 coronavirus. These include the World Health Organisation (WHO), European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and various web pages of the European Commission. Below we provide links to the most relevant sections.

EPSU statement - In the week beginning 17th February, there were three workers deaths in the waste management sector in Europe.

Survey on Health and Safety in the Circular Economy (waste and wastewater)

On 28 October 2019, The European trade union federations, EPSU and IndustriAll-Europe, and the industry association Eurogas, restarted their European Social Dialogue in the gas sector, which has been dormant since 2012.