REJEnerAXion Transnational Meeting in Rome: Advancing the Just Energy Transition through Innovative Industrial Relations

On 16 June 2023, the second transnational meeting of the European project REJEnerAXion (Energy for a just and green recovery deal: the role of industrial relations in the energy sector for a resilient Europe) took place in Rome.

The event entitled “Making the just transition in reality: the role of innovative industrial relations systems for a fair and inclusive energy transition” explored the role of social dialogue and industrial relations in promoting the governance of the transformations introduced by the energy transition to an EU climate-neutral economy and the relevant challenges for trade union action in support of a just transition.

The objective of the workshop was to share the significant findings from high-level action-research developed during the first year of the REjeneraxion project.

Through a multidisciplinary approach, desk analysis and in-depth interviews with stakeholders the project analyzed the consequences of the clean-energy transition for working conditions and quality-of-work issues, employment structures, new risks and new opportunities for individuals, companies, local communities and the environment exploring the policy and real practices that are emerging in this field and the role of innovative industrial relations to respond to and anticipate the energy transition in the world of work from a comparative perspective, both at national and European level.

The morning session of the event was dedicated to a discussion of the results of the interviews to stakeholders that emerged in the representative group of European Member States involved in the project: Italy, Spain, Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia, Poland in order to compare different models of industrial relations, degrees of dependence on fossil-fuel economy and efforts in the promotion of a just transition approach to change in the energy sector.

The first thematic debate was dedicated to the analysis of the impacts of the energy transition on employment, quality of work and skill needs, the second to the regional and territorial effects of the energy transition.

The European Trade Union Institute (ETUI), The European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU), the IndustriALL-Europe gave keynote speeches and closing remarks.

The discussion highlighted that the integration of environmental and social quality for a just eco social transition must consider the complex interactions between technological transformation and social change within a systemic framework and in a transversal political perspective in order to ensure the protection of environment, social justice, work, sustainable welfare.

In the afternoon, the role of social dialogue and industrial relations was explored through the participation of experts and representatives of the social partners, also considering an intersectoral perspective and highlighting the need to strengthen the key role of industrial relations in the governance of the just transition in a systemic and multi-stakeholder perspective.