Condensed Results

Meeting:ICT select working party

Dates:5th February 2013

Present:see list below

1.)Update on latest developments/events

Main points highlighted in the reports from the participants:

Finland

  • After the closure of the last Nokia manufacturing plant, most employees have found new jobs as their skills were in high demand. The disappearance of the company has however left important gaps in the supply chain.
  • The Finish government has established a high level forum to discuss the future of ICT production in Finland. Ritva Cavenious will circulate a report on the launch of this forum.

France/ Alcatel-Lucent

  • The semi-conductor and telecoms industries in France are all undergoing restructuring, the outlook for the ICT industry is bleak. This is part of a wider trend of large numbers of jobs that are lost in French industry (production and R&D).
  • There are fears over the future of Alcatel-Lucent. The company is in urgent need of investment to re-launch their R&D activities. The French unions have rallied together to press for a solution. The EWC has launched a European petition that will be brought to the attention of the European Parliament. IndustriAll Europe has supported and published the petition on its website.

Hewlett Packard

  • An agreement has been reached with HP management that allows for the renegotiation of the EWC and the participation of experts in the negotiation body. The lawsuit against the company by the employees was subsequently dropped.
  • The closure of the entire HP site in Rüsselsheim (DE) was announced by HP management without prior consultation of the works council. The EWC will request an extraordinary meeting and IG Metall is considering a lawsuit against the company over failure to consult under German law. The HP alliance (coordinated by Uni Europa and industriAll Europe) plans to organize solidarity action and an initiative vis-à-vis the European Parliament.

ICT skills Conference

  • industriAll Europe informed about a Conference organized by the Commission on 24th January 2013 to promote a quality label for ICT industry training and certification based on the European e-competence framework (e-CF). The quality label is intended to bring transparency to the current complexity of offers from distinct training providers, to promote mobility among ICT professionals, and to attract new pools of talent into the ICT profession.
  • The group agreed that recognized and transparent ICT qualifications are import for professional mobility but that trade unions are critical of vendor-specific training programmes that do not provide transferable skills. We will monitor these initiatives.
  • Conference documentation:

2.)ICT work programme 2013-2016/ priority actions

The draft ICT work programme (amended following discussions at the ICT committee meeting in November 2012) was endorsed.

The group was however informed that all sector committees had recently been asked to submit a one page action plan to the Executive Committee of industriAll Europe instead of a more elaborate work programme. It was agreed that the Secretariat would draft this action planon the basis of the agreed work programme and consult the ICT committee members on the draft.

Priority actions:

  • Mapping project
  • Lobbying: advocate trade union concerns in connection with EU initiatives (Digital Agenda, Grand Coalition)
  • Green ICT: it was agreed to look into the TCO environmental/social label. This label has emerged from a trade union background, the Swedish umbrella organisation for white collar workers and is used in the IT industry.
  • Trade: dialogue with Commission, promoting fair trade in the ICT sector

3.)ICT mapping project

Emmanuel Reich (Syndex) introduced a proposal for the planned project (see enclosed presentation) and the proposal was subsequently endorsed by the group.

It was agreed that the focus of the project should be on mapping ICT manufacturing capacities in Europe, to identify major challenges and to anticipate future developments, particularly regarding jobs in ICT manufacturing. The project should also identify which policies would be required to maintain industrial activities in Europe.

A mapping of the current skills base and future needs in the ICT sector would also be useful but it should first be established if this is already covered by the upcoming EU initiative on ICT skills (Grand Coalition).

It was agreed that the Secretariat will look into funding opportunities with a view to submitting a project application during 2013. If the project application is successful it was agreed that the select working party should act as the steering group for the project.

4.)ICT Grand Coalition (GC)

The group reviewed the framing document of the ICT Grand Coalition and considered the questions put to industriAll Europe by the European Commission (DG EMPL) regarding our potential involvement and contribution to this initiative.

The group criticized that trade unions had not been involved in developing this initiative. It was nevertheless decided to inform the Commission that industriAll Europe generally supported the intention of the GC to promote e-skills but that the GC should equally promote jobs and skills in ICT manufacturing. The industiAll Europe ICT mapping project could make a contribution in that respect.

More information about the Grand Coalition

5.)Agenda for the ICT Committee meeting in September

Agenda items could include:

  1. Mapping project
  2. TCO green/social label for ICT products
  3. Trade policy (dialogue with Commission on global unfair competition)
  4. Global ICT developments (dialogue with industriAll Global)

6.)Departure of Ritva Cavenius

The group joined the chair in thanking the former chair of the ICT committee Ritva Cavenius very warmly for her work and wished her all the best for her future. It was Ritva’s last meeting with the group before going into retirement.

Participants

FIRitva Cavenius (Trade Union PRO)

Jani Huhtamella (YTN/UIL)

BEKoen Dries (LBC-NVK)

FRPhilippe Saint-Aubin (FGMM/CFDT)

Christian Pilichowski (FTM-CGT)

Stéphane Flegeau (FTM-CGT)

AChristian Schaller (PRO-GE)

ROFlorentin Iancu (Sindicatul IT Timisoara)

industriAll EuropeAndrea Husen-Bradley

AH, 17th April 2013

International Trade Union House (ITUH) - Boulevard du Roi Albert II 5 (bte 10) - B-1210 Brussels

Tel: +32 (0)2/227 10 10

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