EUU, Alm.del - 2019-20 - Bilag 415: Invitation fra beskæftigelsesministeren til teknisk gennemgang om mindsteløn 31/3-20

Europaudvalget 2019-20
EUU Alm.del Bilag 415
Offentligt

The European Commission

Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights

Mr. Nicolas Schmit

Shared EU and Nordic priorities for the future of our labour mar-

kets

Dear Commissioner



Congratulations on your recent appointment as European Commissioner for Jobs

and Social Rights.

The Nordic Council of Ministers for Labour looks forward to starting a fruitful

and constructive cooperation and dialogue with you. We agree with you on the

need to develop an even stronger, more sustainable and socially inclusive Europe.

In order to begin this dialogue we would like to invite you to participate in our

next Ministerial Meeting on 2 April 2020 in Copenhagen.

Based on our Nordic Models and experiences, we would like to share with you

some priorities that we, with the respect of the division of competences and the

autonomy of the social partners, believe should be at the center of

the Union’s

policies.

A future based on social responsibility and fair mobility

Across the EU and the Nordic countries, the past years of economic growth and

improved employment outcomes have positively contributed to the overall well-

being of women and men. At the same time, the good years give us the oppor-

tunity and responsibility to bring more people into employment, not least by

equipping our workforce with the skills of tomorrow. In doing so, we would cre-

ate a more socially inclusive Europe

Based on our Nordic experiences, we look forward to continued cooperation,

sharing of experiences and good practice on the topic of labour market adjust-

ments, as well as on the broader issue of “the

future of work”,

including the

plat-

form economy. It is important to reflect on these issues in the years ahead as EU

activities should respond to the current challenges in our labour markets.

Labour mobility, including the free movement of workers, is of central im-

portance to

businesses’ access to qualified labour, preventing

bottlenecks and al-

lowing businesses to compete on a global scale.

However, in order to achieve a more socially responsible Europe and ensure the

continued public support for labour mobility, it needs to be

fair.

It is important to fight social dumping and abusive practices in the EU and ensure

a level playing field in the Single Market.

EUU, Alm.del - 2019-20 - Bilag 415: Invitation fra beskæftigelsesministeren til teknisk gennemgang om mindsteløn 31/3-20

A safe and healthy work environment across the EU

No one should go to work fearing for her/his health and safety. The

EU’s occupa-

tional safety and health rules should be ambitious, up-to-date and effectively im-

plemented and enforced. The Nordic countries support the new Commission’s ef-

forts in the area of occupational safety and health, including the adoption of a

new EU Strategic Framework on Health and Safety at Work. Addressing occupa-

tional safety and health challenges is important for many reasons such as chang-

ing working life, psychosocial risks, gender equality, preventing fatal accidents

and protecting workers from diseases such as cancer caused by the use of danger-

ous substances. The work should be based on the latest research while involving

the social partners.

A future European success based on strong social dialogue and national labour

markets

The European Union is playing a crucial role in ensuring economic and social

growth in Europe, including the Nordic countries. The EU needs to continue hav-

ing jobs and growth at the center of EU policies post 2020.

The challenges that the Member States face are often similar, but not identical.

That is why it is important that the specificities of each country are taken into ac-

count and respected.

In our view, the

principle “big on big

issues, small on small issues” has served

the outgoing Commission well and should continue to be a guiding principle. In a

Nordic spirit, an essential aspect of achieving this is to strengthen the social dia-

logue both nationally and at EU-level, including by encouraging higher union

density and promoting the possibility for the social partners to find solutions to

labour market challenges, many of which require nationally tailored measures.

Therefore, we very much welcome the assurances you gave inter alia at the hear-

ing in the European Parliament of your respect for systems based on collective

bargaining, i.e. that any future initiative on minimum wage will not interfere with

labour market models where wages are regulated by collective agreements. For

the Nordic countries, it is crucial that we can secure the functioning of our labour

market model that relies on collective bargaining.

Equal economic independence of women and men

There is a close link between gender equality and economic growth. High levels

of employment for both women and men are crucial for economic growth, and in-

vestments in gender equality contribute to the sustainability of society. This is an

integral part of the Nordic model.

However, both in the Nordic countries and the EU women still take a larger re-

sponsibility for the unpaid work at home and the care of children and other de-

pendents than men. Women also take longer career breaks than men and are more

likely to choose part-time work to reconcile work and care responsibilities. Fur-

thermore, the European labour markets are still occupationally gender segregated,

and equal pay continues to be an issue.

In the view of the Nordic countries, it is imperative to strengthen the promotion

of gender equality in the EU. Therefore, we warmly welcome the new Commis-

EUU, Alm.del - 2019-20 - Bilag 415: Invitation fra beskæftigelsesministeren til teknisk gennemgang om mindsteløn 31/3-20

sion’s plan to set

forth an EU gender equality strategy and suggest that the Com-

missioner for Jobs and Social Rights contributes actively to the realization of this.

The EU needs a powerful, comprehensive and sustainable Gender Equality Strat-

egy. The strategy should have clear goals, be followed-up, and its implementation

evaluated and reviewed within the Council.

To conclude, the Nordic Council of Ministers for Labour is looking into the fu-

ture of the EU labour markets with great anticipation and ambition, while empha-

sizing the importance of implementing and applying existing measures, legisla-

tion and systems, as well as the recognition of effective and well-functioning la-

bour market models such as the Nordic. We hope to have a chance to discuss

these topics with you in a near future.

Yours sincerely

Sweden

Finland

Eva Nordmark

Minister for Employment

Norway

Tuula Haatainen

Minister of Employment

Anniken Hauglie

Minister of Labour and Social Af-

fairs

Iceland

Ásmundur Einar Daðason

Minister of Social Affairs and

Equality

Aino-Kaisa Pekonen

Minister of Social Affairs and

Health

Denmark

Peter Hummelgaard

Minister for Employment