BusinessEurope, SGI Europe, SMEunited and ETUC signed an historic work programme that aims to strengthen autonomous social dialogue at European and national levels.

One of the agreed main goal is to negotiate an update of the 2002 Autonomous Agreement on Telework, that addressed issues such as, provision of equipment and health and safety, as well as establishing that teleworkers have the same employment conditions as workers who work in the employers’ premises.

This agreement, which laid the foundation for social dialogue and collective bargaining on voluntary telework solutions, needs now to be revised considering the digitalisation developments and the learnings from the sanitary crisis on telework, that became much more commonplace in Europe due to pandemic, arising the number of the EU workforce usually working from home from 5.4 percent in 2019 to 13.4 percent in 2021.

Issues to be addressed include hybrid work, the right to disconnect, organisation of work in particular the management of online workers and the link with working-time, health and safety, work life balance, surveillance, privacy, and data protection.

Social partners agreed to review and update the agreement to be put forward for adoption as a legally binding agreement implemented via a directive.

The Work Programme 2022-24 sets out other five joint actions on green transition, youth employment, work-related privacy and surveillance, improving skills matching in Europe and capacity building.

BusinessEurope Director General Markus J. Beyrer said: “Social dialogue has a fundamental role to play in making our labour markets more productive, competitive and resilient. This work programme demonstrates a shared endeavour and commitment in times of rapid labour market change.”

ETUC General Secretary Luca Visentini, confirmed that “This agreement is ambitious in what it aims to achieve and deals with several of the biggest challenges facing workers and businesses today”.

The European social partners also confirmed their commitment to contributing to shape the process of the digital and green transitions and accompany the resilience and recovery from Covid-19 as well as to continue their joint activities to improve the performance of labour markets and social systems.

Social partners can play a key role to promote, with the European Commission and national governments, balanced measures and solutions to create an enabling environment for enterprises and improved living and working conditions.