with financial support from the european union - project number: vs/2011/0188 european guide for...

With financial support from the European Union - Project number: VS/2011/0188

EUROPEAN GUIDE FOR TRADE UNION ENVIRONMENTAL

REPRESENTATIVESCisl Toscana

Ecologia & Lavoro

IAL Toscana

Guide for environmental representatives

Project leader PartnersCisl Toscana FGTB (BE)Drafting the Guide PODKREPA (BG)Ecologia&Lavoro CFDT (F) DGB/VHS NW E.V (GE)Project administration Arbeit und Leben (GE)IAL Toscana EKA/ ATHENS (GR) TUC (UK) The project is supported by ETUC, special thanks to Judith Kirton-Darling

for her personal support and presence.It is also supported by the national confederation of Cisl, and Fulvio

Giacomassi.


Sergio Sorani – Ecologia&LavoroA tool for workers and trade unions’ reps from all EUROPE for

SUSTAINABLE RECOVERY

Judith Kirton-Darling – ETUCSocial, environmental, economic, financial crisis = one answer:

sustainable development&fight against climate change.“Just Transition” strategy: a GLOBAL, PRECISE, UNANIMOUS answer

Renato Santini – Cisl Toscana“Greening our mission”: make life more equitable and inclusive.

The Guide wish reaching out to all workplaces.


Introduction• Many critical environmental issues.• Many environmental effects of industrial development.

Climate change causing severe disruption to habitats (desertification, rising sea levels, reduction of glaciers, with serious consequences for biodiversity).

• Breaking the chain.• The key solution for that lies in the quality and the

quantity of economical changes, thus in the transformation of the word of work and of the protection systems what we are carrying out as Unions.


Chapter 1The Culture and new values of sustainable development

• Responsibility for our present and future, and for future generations.• Sustainable development: balanced and dynamic integration of the

principles of economic growth, environmental protection and social equity. (National collective agreement of Chemistry sector, 2006).

• The concept of sustainable development does imply limits - not absolute limits but limitations imposed by the present state of technology and social organization on environmental resources and by the ability of the biosphere to absorb the effects of human activities. But technology and social organization can be both managed and improved to make way for a new era of growth of personal and collective wellbeing.


Chapter 2.The European legal framework

• EU 2020 Europe’s growth strategy: Intelligent, sustainable, inclusive

• Directive on Climate change and Energy (European Union Climate and Energy Package)

• Road Map 2050 for a low carbon economy• New Directive on energy efficiency, approved by

the EP, September 11, 2012.


Figure 1: greenhouse gases emissions in the UE – towards a reduction of 80% (100% =1990)

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

1990 2000 2010 2020 2030 2040 2050

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Politica attuale

Settore dell'elettricità

Settore residenziale e terziario

Altri settori (emissioni non CO 2)

Industria

Trasporti

Agricoltura (emissioni non CO2)


Chapter 3.Green bargaining for a low carbon economy: a bottom-

up approach .

• European model. Social dialogue, tripartite relations.• Strengthen the tradition, innovate relationships.• Chronologically the last opportunity: The Covenant of

Mayors


Chapter 4.The environmental representative at his own workplace

• The basic conceptual reference: the Continuous Environmental Improvement (CEI).

• Rights, objectives, tools.


Chapter 5.The environmental representative, local institutions and society

• More and more conflicts of interests between different soil uses are resulting in environmental conflicts.

• The existing production activities are absorbed by growing urbanization and NEW economic activities having difficulties to find space are at the centre of environmental conflicts.

• Trade unionists have to understand the importance of INFORMATION and PARTICIPATION processes, and assure FAIR decisional processes.

• Responsible consumption: to be developed for workers – producers and at the same time workers – consumers. Local economy, local products, etc..

Guide for environmental representatives Chapter 6.

Employment: competences and know-how

• ITUC’s definition of Green jobs: “A green job provides decent work and living conditions, and ensures workers’ rights are respected as part of sustainable development in a fairer and inclusive society.

• Not only “GREEN JOBS”, but also greening all jobs. All activities with less environmental impacts.

• CEDEFOP: Integrate the new “green” competences. All workers having included “green” competences in their professional skills have better access to work.

• CEDEFOP: apical figures in enterprises are important just as technical professions based on scientific knowledge.

• CEDEFOP: a general good training can be enough, but not every time. In constructions energy efficiency, the training shall be deeper and relative to the whole industrial process from designing to maintenance.

• Trade unions involvement in CONTINOUS training on green skills is very important.

GUIDA VERDE


Chapter 7.Environmental representative and international action

• Think globally, act locally (ONG approach)• Think globally, act locally AND globally (Trade Unions). A

great and almost exclusive opportunity of having a large international network of unions.

• European Work Councils and Global Unions: tools and organizations to use in the environmental debates (ex. asbestos)

• Global Compact: UN enterprises’ organization for good practices shared and supported by trade unions.


Conclusions and work hypothesis

• A proposal for European legislation on workers’ environmental rights• A European training programme for new skills and for the principles

and cultural values of sustainable development. ( Reach, Raee, Conai, etc…)

• Finalize and enhance the role of workers - citizens-producer-consumer in sustainable development.

• Supporting the international unionist initiative for the Tobin tax. • Strengthen the rules of international trade that respects labor rights

and environmental protection.• Promoting Carbon Tax.• Building alliances, starting from our direct partners: employers.


Thanks from all participants at the project’s international meetings

Sebastien Storme, Lydie Gaudier, Achim Vanselow, Jurgen Lange, Sabine

Katzsche-Doring, Lyndsey Mouland, Philip Pearson, Christina Theocari, Dominique Olivier, Sophie Gaudeul,

Judith Kirton-Darling, Veselina Starcheva, Stoyan Pantchev, Bogatinova

Petya, Giovanni Bolognini, Gianluca Federici, Renato Santini, Gabriella Pusztai, Sergio Sorani, Giuseppe

D'Ercole, Paolo Angeli, Gabriella Fenili, Elisabetta Biliotti, Maurizio Becucci,

Daniele Belgrado, Sergio Fondi, Sara Cerri, Vincenzo Cinquini, Rossana

Paolinelli, Massimo Pazzagli, Luciano Sacchetti.

CENTRO STUDI NAZIONALE CISLVia della Piazzuola, 71 – Firenze 50133

Tel: (0039) 055 5032111

You can download the Guide in English and in Italian on CISL Toscana’s website:

http://www.cisltoscana.it/

Thank you for your attention

http://www.cisltoscana.it/

with financial support from the european union - project number: vs/2011/0188 european guide for...

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