Relaunch of the FES European Trade Union Project in Brussels

On Thursday, 8 May, the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) hosted a high-level meeting in Brussels to mark the relaunch of the European Trade Union Project. Under the leadership of Knut Dethlefsen, Director of the FES Competence Centre "Future of Work", the Competence Centre will coordinate the foundation’s Euroepan Trade Union Project from Brussels. The relaunch strengthens FES’s mission to support progressive trade union policy in Europe and to build strong partnerships aimed at securing workers’ rights, promoting social justice, and fostering sustainable industrial development.

The meeting brought together key representatives from European trade union federations, including the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), UNI Europa, IndustriALL Europe, the European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU), the European Federation of Building and Woodworkers' Unions (EFBWW), the European Federation of Trade Unions in the Food, Agriculture and Tourism (EFFAT), the European Trade Union Committee for Education (ETUCE), and the European Transport Federation (ETF). Together, they explored ways to coordinate joint action and deepen cooperation on a wide range of urgent topics.

Discussions focused on the digital transformation and the impact of new technologies in the workplace, the importance of strengthening collective bargaining coverage, and the need to ensure quality jobs in an evolving economic landscape. Participants also addressed gender and migration challenges in the labour market, the mapping of AI systems across sectors, and the implications of algorithmic management. Central to the exchanges was a shared commitment to actively shape the changing world of work and to promote a fairer and more inclusive future for all workers.

The strategic importance of Brussels is reflected in FES’s presence through three dedicated units: the FES EU Office, established in 1973, and the competence centres "Future of Work" and "Just Climate", both founded in 2021. These centres tackle two of the most pressing challenges for social democracy today: the digital and the socio-ecological transformation of work.