The Social Affairs Commission of COMECE has published a reflection paper on shaping the future of work. The document encourages the EU to shape the digital and ecological transformations of the world of work aiming to the common good.
The reflections highlights the role of work as an integral part of human identity and instrument to care for Creation. While it identifies the challenges in the current shift, it invites the EU and its Member States to take the ecological and digital transition as an opportunity and to shape both trends towards a common European vision of a decent, sustainable and participative world of work for all.
The document suggests 17 policy recommendations that range from the promotion of international labour standards and the social economy to special provisions on tax justice and workers in transition.
The COMECE document is the result of a one-year long process of consultation and dialogue started in November 2017. This process has been carried out together with representatives of the European institutions and Catholic-inspired organisations such as the European Christian Workers’ Movement (ECWM), the International Christian Union of Business Executives (UNIAPAC) and representatives of young Christian workers movements in the EU.
Mgr. Antoine Hérouard, president of the COMECE Social Affairs Commission, will officially present the reflection at the forthcoming conference “Shaping the future of work – a faith-based contribution to the ILO centenary initiative” to be held in Brussels on 27 November 2018 together with 200 representatives of the Christian, Jewish and Muslim faiths as well as distinguished EU and ILO officials.
The conference is co-organised by COMECE, faith-based partners, ILO and the European Economic Social Committee (EESC). It will include the participation of Mgr. Jean-Claude Hollerich SJ, President of COMECE, Mairead McGuinness, First Vice-President of the European Parliament, Heinz Koller, ILO Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia and MEPs Claude Rolin (EPP) and Patrizia Toia (S&D).
Shaping the Future of Work can be downloaded here.
COMECE is made up of bishops delegated by the Catholic Bishops’ Conferences of the 28 Member States of the European Union. Bishop Noel Treanor, Bishop of Down and Connor, is the COMECE representative from the Irish Bishops’ Conference. For more information on COMECE visit www.comece.eu.
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