STTK:n puheenjohtaja Antti Palola osallistui tänään Brysselissä EU:n ”Tripartite Social Summit for Growth and Employment” -tapaamiseen.
Korkean tason tapaamiseen osallistuivat Suomen pääministeri Antti Rinteen lisäksi myös Euroopan komission puheenjohtaja Jean-Claude Juncker ja Euroopan ammatillisen yhteisjärjestön EAY:n (ETUC) pääsihteeri Luca Visentini.
Puheenvuorossaan Palola korosti sosiaalisen oikeudenmukaisuuden merkitystä ilmastotoimissa, sekä työntekijöiden osaamiseen panostamisen tärkeyttä työelämän murroksessa.
– Ilmastomuutoksen vastaiset toimet eivät onnistu ilman sosiaalisesti oikeudenmukaista siirtymää työntekijöille, koska vain sitä kautta varmistamme kansalaisten tuen ilmastotoimille, Palola korosti puheessaan.
Antti Palolan puhe ”Tripartite Social Summit for Growth and Employment” -tapaamisessa.
Just Transition to a climate neutral economy
I’d like to start by thanking minister Harakka and Mr Häkämies for their initiated speeches and the Finnish presidency for making a just transition in to climate neutral economy a top priority. I’m also happily note, that we are all in agreement, that efforts on climate action need to be joint, made in collaboration, and that they need to involve the whole of society.
Climate change and just transition are among the great challenges that we need to find solutions to, not only on a European level but on the global level.
In STTK, we support that Europe takes a leading role in combatting climate change and makes sure it is at the forefront of providing solutions. This is also a way for Europe to ensure its competitiveness and to secure jobs and welfare.
Climate action is inevitable, and we cannot afford to postpone it. We cannot, address it with action that leads to increased economic inequality or insecurity. We should instead have the ambition of erasing them. This ambition is inevitable so that ordinary citizens, workers and consumers commit to the change. It is in all off our interest, that climate action is considered fair and just.
When we speak of just transition, we speak of making ecologically inevitable changes, in a socially sustainable manner, and in a way that supports employment.
When we speak of just transition, we speak of making ecologically inevitable changes, in a socially sustainable manner, and in a way that supports employment.
Climate change leads to the disappearing of some jobs and the creation of others. We need new skills, and we need to have a clear vision of how to support workers during this structural change. This means, among other things, that we need to put special focus on lifelong learning and continuous skills development.
We need new skills, and we need to have a clear vision of how to support workers during this structural change.
In the Finnish Confederation of Professionals STTK, we believe that improving knowledge and ensuring skills is the way for Europe to stay at the forefront of development. We need to do this by tripartite and bipartite cooperation both nationally and at European level and by developing European social dialogue so that we can address the real needs and concerns of European citizens and workers. We are glad to note that there seems to be agreement in this room regarding this.
We also need to invest in constructive solutions to improve conditions for workers. This means embracing progress, digitalisation and the possibilities that they bring, all while recognising the need to protect individuals and respecting fundamental rights.
Workers need to have high quality jobs and at the same time have the security needed to be adaptive to the global changes. We need to put emphasis on the wellbeing and security of employees so that they also can support and live through the change.
We have in the European Pillar for Social rights a good instrument for tackling these challenges together and for taking leaps towards a more climate neutral and just Europe. The transition to climate neutral society can help us rebalance our free market economy with social security and putting European citizens first.
Thank you for your attention.