A seminar entitled ”New labour relations in the digital age” took place between May 27th and May 30th 2021, in Băile Felix / Romania, organized by CSDR / Departamentul Educare - Formare al CSDR (Confederaţia Sindicatelor Democratice din România / Departamentul Educare - Formare al Confederaţiei Sindicatelor Democratice din România), with the support of EZA and of the European Union.
The seminar, that was organized and held in a hybrid format, was attended by 34 representatives of workers’ organisations from Romania, Bulgaria, Ireland, Portugal and Slovakia: 26 attendees on site and 8 online attendees.
Important aspects highlighted during the seminar
- Fast evolution of digitalization brings about major changes on the labour market;
- Atypical labour forms are more and more present on the labour market;
- The phenomenon of population ageing visible at European level, the increase of life expectancy and reduction of birth rate;
- Social security systems which cannot cope with current challenges.
Findings of the seminar
- The digitalization of public services at national level is a must;
- Organise campaigns to increase awareness on the importance of life-learning capacity considering the future of labour;
- Enhance access of workers to digital technologies, including via adapting hardware and software to their specific needs;
- Grant fiscal incentives for companies to invest in the employees’ lifelong learning and development program;
- Organise awareness-raising campaigns regarding the importance of lifelong learning concerning the importance of lifelong learning and digital training offered to workers;
- Develop a coherent, multi-annual training programme based on new learning methods (remote teaching, e-learning), as well as provide training course for developing digital skills (on levels).
- The need to introduce special provisions in the collective bargaining agreements to stipulate:
- Right to leisure;
- Remote work, mobile work and work on digital platforms;
- Flexible working hours – time, place, contracts – considering the family life / work balance;
- Guarantees regarding health insurance and social security.
- Reform the national social protection system so as to make it sustainable and fair;
- Promote a joint statement on the effects of digital technology in the work area to signal the major challenges European decision-makers and social partners are facing.
A work visit was organized at Emanoil Gojdu National College during which the seminar attendees watched a demonstration of applications based on the activity of robots built by the college students. The seminar attendees and students discussed with a focus on the students’ preparedness for the future trends of the labour market in the digital era.