Changes from plenary report to adopted text

Owing to the need for a comprehensive package of measures necessary to achieve this objective, the proposal should include elements in the following fields:

(a) working conditions;

(b) the integration of persons excluded from the labour market;

(c) the information and consultation of workers;

(d) improvements of the working environment to protect workers’ health and safety.

Recommendation 3: Subject matter of the proposal

The proposal should focus on the following policy measures:

(a) establishing a dedicated framework to anticipate and manage change in regions and sectors facing transitions on the basis of the principles of mandatory and timely information and consultation of workers and their representatives, of social dialogue and of collective bargaining;

(b) ensuring that the right to information and consultation of workers and their representatives, as laid down in Directive 2002/14/EC and in national provisions, is effectively applied in the context of transitions;

(c) establishing an individual right to training for workers during working hours;

(d) establishing national just transition strategies, with a particular focus on developing long-term vision for local economies and workforce in all affected regions and sectors, to be designed and implemented through meaningful involvement of the social partners and local actors;

(e) developing support programmes for businesses, in particular SMEs and local actors in order to encourage local job-creation;

(f) ensuring the matching of labour and skills supply and demand through a combined use of labour market intelligence, enhanced collaboration of local actors and social partners with training providers, and the promotion of company-level transition plans;

(g) developing a monitoring structure to deliver strategic foresight on transition impacts and labour market developments.

Recommendation 4: Implementation and enforcement

1. The proposal should respect the Member State’s prerogative to apply or to introduce laws, regulations or administrative provisions which are more favourable to workers or to encourage or permit the application of collective agreements which are more favourable to workers and should not constitute valid grounds for reducing the general level of protection already afforded to workers within Member States.

2. The proposal should respect the autonomy of social partners, including the right to negotiate and conclude collective agreements and allow them, upon a joint request, to be entrusted with its implementation, provided that the national system can at all times guarantee the results sought under the proposal.