Quality Jobs Require Simpler EU Rules
The European Commission’s second-phase consultation of the EU-level social partners on a possible Quality Jobs Act closed on 28 September. The Confederation of Swedish Enterprise emphasises the importance of focusing on simplification, competitiveness and respect for national labour market models and the autonomy of the social partners, writes Elin Lilliehöök, Policy advisor.
The EU already has an extensive framework of rules covering working conditions and workers’ rights. The main challenge is not a lack of regulation, but ensuring that existing rules are clear, workable, properly implemented and effectively enforced. Before introducing new EU legislation, the Commission should therefore demonstrate a genuine regulatory gap that cannot be addressed through better implementation, guidance or enforcement.
Competitiveness and quality jobs go hand in hand. Companies need the ability to invest, innovate, digitalise and adapt their organisation of work in order to create and maintain quality jobs. A stable and predictable regulatory environment is an important part of this. Additional regulatory complexity, administrative burdens and legal uncertainty can make it more difficult for companies to adapt and invest.
Occupational safety and health
One of our key concerns is the inclusion of occupational safety and health (OSH) in a broader initiative covering a range of labour-market issues. OSH regulation has its own specific framework and logic, and its inclusion in a wider regulatory package risks creating unnecessary complexity rather than improving protection.
Any changes to the existing framework should therefore be carefully targeted and demonstrably simplify the rules in practice. The framework should remain proportionate and sufficiently flexible to reflect different workplaces and national systems. Existing requirements already provide a basis for addressing issues such as psychosocial and ergonomic risks through systematic risk assessment, and new prescriptive requirements should be avoided where there is no clear regulatory gap.
Supporting transitions
The transition to a more digital and climate-neutral economy will require companies and workers to adapt. The Confederation of Swedish Enterprise supports an approach that helps employers invest in skills, reskilling and upskilling, while supporting workers in navigating changes in the labour market.
EU-level action should build on existing frameworks and funding rather than create new one-size-fits-all requirements for companies. The conditions for managing transitions vary significantly between sectors, regions and countries. Companies also need sufficient flexibility to adapt their workforce and organisation to changing economic and technological conditions.
The role of social partners
Respect for the autonomy of social partners and national labour market models is another central consideration. Collective bargaining plays an important role in adapting working conditions to different sectors and workplaces, and this space should be preserved.
Where social partners freely agree on solutions through collective bargaining, EU legislation should not unnecessarily interfere with or replace those solutions. Social dialogue should remain voluntary, and the different roles of collective bargaining and enforcement should be clearly maintained.
The same principles apply across other areas considered in the Quality Jobs Act. For example, the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise sees a need for practical guidance on the application of existing rules on AI and algorithmic management rather than new legislation. In subcontracting, the focus should be on effective enforcement of existing rules rather than additional liability requirements.
A successful Quality Jobs Act should therefore make the existing framework simpler and more workable, not add another layer of regulation. By focusing on implementation, simplification, competitiveness and respect for national systems and social partner autonomy, the EU can create better conditions for companies to invest, adapt and create quality jobs.