A seminar about “Safety and protection of soft targets in organisations: New forms of risks for workers” took place from 11 to 12 June 2026 in Ružomberok / Slovakia, organised by NKOS (Nezávislé krestanské odbory Slovenska), in cooperation with EZA and funded by the European Union. 54 representatives of workers’ organisations from Slovakia, Slovenia, Poland, Czech Republic, Ukraine, North Macedonia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Hungary participated in the seminar.
The Main Focus and Most Critical Aspects of the Seminar
The main benefit of the seminar was connecting theory with practice in protecting "soft targets," such as schools or public offices, from aggression and emerging workplace threats. Participants did not just discuss the issues; during a visit to the highly secured MONDI SCP industrial facility, they witnessed real-world safety and security management firsthand. This allowed them to explore ways to adapt these professional procedures and security cultures into school and public environments.
The seminar program equipped employees with highly practical skills. They learned how to handle aggression, survive an active shooter attack, technologically secure a workplace, and administer first aid.
Social dialogue also played an important role. Union representatives from several countries gained the knowledge and tools needed to actively create crisis plans and champion health and safety as a priority during collective bargaining. Ultimately, the entire seminar successfully turned expert theory into concrete guidelines that schools and organizations can immediately use to better protect their staff and students.
Strategic Timing and the Need for Immediate Action
The seminar was uniquely important at this time as it responded to an ongoing European trend: an alarming rise in aggression, physical and psychological violence, and attacks targeting employees in education, healthcare, and social services. In an era when schools and public institutions are becoming increasingly vulnerable to new risks—ranging from extremism to active shooter threats—protecting these "soft targets" has become an urgent societal priority. This growing pressure demands immediate, robust, and proactive solutions that cannot be delayed.
For this reason, the timing of the seminar was crucial. It provided social partners and employee representatives with tangible tools, legislative frameworks, and practical crisis protocols at a moment when European security policies must be swiftly translated into real-world practice within individual schools and organizations. Ultimately, the event filled a critical gap in preparing workers to handle real crisis situations, immediately strengthening their safety and security in today's digital and post-pandemic landscape.
Thematic Overview and Core Topics Discussed
The following overview highlights the core thematic pillars of the seminar, which focused on transforming security theory into actionable workplace practices. Each section outlines a critical area of training designed to immediately enhance safety and crisis preparedness within educational and public institutions.
Defining and Vulnerability of Soft Targets: Defining the concept of soft targets and identifying risks in schools, including attacks, bullying, extremism, and vandalism. (prof. Ing. Andrej Veľas, PhD.)
Adaptation of Security Protocols: Transferring crisis management, evacuation procedures, and monitoring technologies from industry ("hard targets") into the school environment. (Study visit to Mondi SCP a.s.)
Survival Strategies During Attacks: Practical procedures for employees on how to face aggression, workplace violence, and active shooter situations. (Michal Jaššák)
Social Dialogue and Crisis Planning: The role of OHS (Occupational Health and Safety) union inspectors and employee representatives in creating internal security plans and collective bargaining. (Panel discussion I and II)
Integrated Workplace Protection: Implementing specific technical and organizational measures to increase overall safety and security. (Peter Ďubek)
First Aid: Practical protocols for emergency medical response and first aid immediately following an incident. (MUDr. Noemi Šimunková)
Seminar results
The main outcome of the seminar was the development of concrete guidelines for schools, politicians, and trade unions on how to immediately improve workplace safety. Participants gained practical skills needed to handle crisis situations, including responding to an active shooter attack, implementing technical measures, and providing first aid directly on-site. Another major benefit was strengthening the role of trade unions, employee representatives and safety inspectors gained ready-made templates to easily create custom crisis plans within their organizations. Furthermore, the seminar fostered effective international cooperation by allowing representatives from European countries to share their experiences, which will help better implement joint security policies in the future.
Results of discussions, work groups, workshops etc.
Agreement on Social Dialogue Priorities: During panel discussions with international participation (representatives from 8 countries), a common conclusion was reached that protecting soft targets and ensuring worker safety against aggression must be an integral part of collective bargaining and social dialogue at both national and European levels.
Defining the Competencies of Employee Representatives: The debates resulted in a clear definition of the key role of OHS (Occupational Health and Safety) union inspectors and employee representatives, who are expected to share direct responsibility and actively participate in creating internal crisis plans within organizations.
Application of Practical Crisis Protocols: Within the practically oriented blocks, participants successfully tested procedures and survival strategies for active shooter attacks, the implementation of technical and organizational measures to protect the workplace, and specific first-aid protocols prepared for employee representatives.
Formulating Final Recommendations: The outputs from expert panels and discussions led to the creation of a concrete set of recommendations for political representatives and social partners, aiming to systematically increase the protection of employees and students across the entire EU.
Key Demands and Required Measures
There is an urgent demand for robust and proactive solutions, requiring the immediate implementation of concrete measures at all levels—from individual schools to national and European frameworks—to address growing pressures and the threat of school attacks. To support this, protecting soft targets and ensuring worker safety against aggression and violence must be recognized as a key priority within social dialogue and collective bargaining agreements. Furthermore, employee representatives and OHS (Occupational Health and Safety) union inspectors must be granted stronger competencies and a direct say in creating internal crisis plans within organizations. Finally, organizations call for the systematic introduction of technical and organizational measures, including comprehensive employee training for handling attacks (such as active shooter situations) and access to standardized templates for developing security protocols.
Practical Implications and Implementation of Results in Daily Work
Based on the seminar outcomes and the recommendations developed, the implications for the daily work of the participants and their organizations are as follows:
Based on the seminar outcomes and the recommendations developed, implementation into the daily work of the participants and their organizations will bring several key changes. First and foremost, organizations will need to transition from passive security measures to proactive crisis plans that take into account the specific risks faced by soft targets. For trade unions, this creates a clear obligation to more actively push for occupational health and safety (OHS) issues to be integrated into collective bargaining agreements and regular meetings with management. Last but not least, employee representatives will recommend that their employers provide regular training for staff in situational alertness and proper threat response, which will directly contribute to building a strong and proactive workplace security culture.