In preparation for the Quality Jobs Roadmap, the European Commission recently conducted a feedback process, in which AK also participated. Against the backdrop of the necessary further implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights (ESSR), it is important to ensure dignity and respect in the world of work. Since this year's European Commission Work Programme lacks legislative social policy initiatives, it is now up to the Commission to propose effective measures.

Key elements of good working conditions include fair pay, social security, predictable hours, employee involvement, opportunities for further training and workplace health protection. Data from Austria – such as the Working Environment Index published by the AK Upper Austria – clearly show that action is needed: an increasing number of employees are reporting stress, workplace isolation, and heavy workloads. Employee satisfaction has been declining for years and stress levels are rising. This also has an impact on health: the Microcensus Labour Force Survey 2020, reports that about 3.7 million employees in Austria (around 86.4% of the workforce) face at least one physical and/or psychological risk at work.

As also proposed by AK, measures are particularly necessary in the following three areas:
 

• Improving data availability and including job quality (more strongly) in the Social Policy Scoreboard and the EU’s social targets
• Ambitious and effective EU minimum standards to strengthen job quality – and their consistent implementation
• No deterioration in job quality as a result of the current European Commission’s deregulation wave

Improving data availability and including job quality in the social policy scoreboard

Effective policy measures for improving job quality require current, relevant cross-country comparative data. Increased frequency of European surveys on working conditions along with regular monitoring and analysis of job quality indicators would be necessary. However, the ESSR's social policy scoreboard currently lacks job quality indicators, despite ‘fair working conditions’ being a core social pillar. The scoreboard must be expanded accordingly. Measuring workplace quality is complex and requires a variety of indicators. The aforementioned Work Environment Index and the European Job Quality Index of the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) are valuable examples of frameworks used to measure job quality. It is important that this data is taken seriously and that corresponding progress or setbacks are analysed in reports at national and EU level.

Effective EU minimum standards to strengthen job quality

In order to achieve effective improvements based on sound data, ambitious, effective and legally binding EU minimum standards are necessary, particularly in the following areas:
 

• ‘Right to training’ resp. access to high-quality education and training, including paid educational leave, a minimum number of education and training hours during work and the right for job seekers to high-quality, self-selected training.
   
• A directive to protect workers from risks related to algorithmic management, including surveillance, pressure, discrimination and data protection breaches.
   
• An effective ‘Just Transition Directive’ that outlines specific workers’ rights concerning the impact of the transformation on their workplace and broadens opportunities for employee participation in the transformation.
   
• Stronger workplace health and safety protections, such as a directive addressing psychosocial risks. The focus here should be on prevention in order to successfully avert physical and mental stress.
   
• Effective measures for gender equality. Substantial improvements in gender equality are urgent. Key actions include enforcing the Pay Transparency Directive and adopting the horizontal Anti-Discrimination Directive.
   
• ​​​​​​​Stronger action against wage and social dumping. Cross-border wage and social dumping at the expense of posted workers and complex subcontracting chains pose a massive problem for social justice and for fair competition in the EU Single Market. The European Labour Authority must therefore have expanded powers, including effective law enforcement, to be able to impose administrative penalties for wage and social dumping across borders.
   
• Minimum standards for national unemployment insurance schemes. A directive should contain clean European standards on net replacement rates, coverage rates and benefit periods, thereby contributing significantly to social progress in the EU.
   
• A European Job Guarantee to support the long-term unemployed
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• Minimum standards for working conditions for health professionals and live-in care workers
   
• Enforcing social conditionality in public procurement, for example by restricting subcontracting chains and requiring general contractor liability.

No weaking of the work quality through the current deregulation agenda

A successful strategy for high-quality, good jobs must guarantee strong and reliable social rights. Improving working conditions enables workers to remain healthy and in employment for longer. That is why workplace quality and the associated protection measures must not be compromised. The current deregulation plans of the European Commission, such as the planned 28th company law regime for companies or the abolition of the ESF+ as a separate budget line, are cause for concern.

The Quality Jobs Roadmap presents a significant opportunity to enhance the overall standard of work. This requires effective measures to make employment more secure, more humane, more democratic and more environmentally responsible. It would be important here to have the courage to de-intensify, to redistribute time, resources and decision-making power – and to fundamentally reassess and reorganise the role of work in society.


Further information:

AK EUROPA: Quality Jobs Roadmap
AK EUROPA: Here to stay. The European Pillar of Social Rights
AK EUROPA: The Social Pillar and the future of the EU social agenda
AK EUROPA: Towards strong minimum social standards for social progress in Europe
AK Oberösterreich: Warum Arbeitsklima Index? | Arbeiterkammer Oberösterreich - (Why a Work Climate Index) | Upper Austria Chamber of Labour (German only)