2023-04-21 15:54:28
The course of the largest union on climate is becoming more offensive. Not only save jobs, but also actively steer companies in the sustainable direction.
The FNV will do more with the climate problem. The union wants to call companies to account more often regarding polluting activities and to ensure that employees do not have to pay disproportionately for climate policy.
The union will present this tightening of the course to the members on Saturday. They will vote on it in June. “No jobs on a dead planet”, quotes Bas van Weegberg, member of the executive board of FNV, the international trade union slogan. “The FNV strongly supports ambitious and fair climate policy and wants to exert influence where possible.”
Changing work due to climate policy
From our own poll among the members, this aim seems to have the support of the majority. About two thirds of the members think it is important that the union is concerned with changes in work caused by climate policy and with the distribution of costs. A sizeable minority of regarding a third is of the opinion that the FNV should not interfere with the climate theme.
Moreover, a survey by I&O Research shows that citizens do not indicate the union as the first to do something regarding climate change, only 9 percent do. Van Weegberg understands that. “We do not cause the emissions. But we do not want companies to make a profit at the expense of people and the climate.”
The realization that unsustainable companies are not in the interests of employees is starting to sink in, Van Weegberg sees. Although environmental activists and trade unions sometimes oppose each other, such as with the planned expansion of the VDL car factory in Limburg, the environmental and trade union movements have sought rapprochement in recent years. For example, Milieudefensie and the FNV have set up a platform where employees can gain knowledge to address their companies regarding climate policy. “It is also a call to companies and government to take employees seriously in the green transition.”
This is not happening everywhere yet, according to our own poll and the survey by I&O Research. More than half of the employees think that their own employer is not very clear regarding what climate policy will mean for their jobs. In addition, employees do not have such a high opinion of the efforts to reduce emissions. Only regarding a quarter thinks that their own employer is already doing everything possible to minimize the impact on the climate.
A social contract for the first time
Where until recently the emphasis within the trade union movement was mainly on schemes for redundant workers in polluting industry, the course is now becoming more offensive. “We want to make good agreements regarding changes of work, such as at Tata Steel where people now have to work with old installations and later with new installations,” says Van Weegberg. “For the first time, a social contract has been concluded regarding this. Where work is added, it must also be good jobs. With offshore wind, for example, we have seen that work does not simply fall under collective labor agreements, but there is also a risk with startups in the green industry that are going to grow.”
According to Van Weegberg, the transition to a green economy cannot succeed without the commitment of trade unions and employees. “Our new climate vision is also a call to ourselves and our members to make the transition a success.”
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