The EFBWW's main focus is on facilitating the creation of networks to help share best practices on capacity building and organisation. We will look at existing European programmes and alliances for capacity building and share their best practices and conclusions.
We will initiate actions and launch projects to strengthen industrial relations at various levels in Europe, at European level between the European social partners, at national level between the national social partners, at regional level, and also at company level, between union representatives and their counterparts. Under the terms of our existing cooperation agreement with BWI, we will work together on capacity-building issues in CEE countries.
Since in most EU Member States, the proportion of women and young people employed in EFBWW sectors is low, we will try to pinpoint the factors that determine how attractive these sectors are to women and young people, improve job opportunities for women and young people and make these sectors more attractive to them.
One key factor that determines how attractive our sectors are is trade unions' ability to influence income distribution and better working conditions. The wage gap between Western, Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe persists. The EFBWW will continue to support upward social convergence and social cohesion in the EU. Collective bargaining is the key to achieving this. The EFBWW will support future campaigns for decent wages and pay rises throughout the EU and provide fora for our affiliates to exchange information on national collective bargaining strategies and outcomes. The EFBWW will actively defend national sectoral social partners' autonomy and different existing social models in the collective bargaining domain against any interference by EU institutions (e.g. via the European Semester).