Euromines and industriAll Europe have teamed up for the EU-funded project SODISEES, exploring how effective social dialogue can accelerate social sustainability in Europe’s extractive industries.

The report, “Social Dialogue for Sustainable Extractives Industries in Europe” is being launched today at the high-level conference, gathering trade unions, employers’ organisations, and policymakers. Its central message: by working together, workers, employers, and public authorities can build stronger industries and secure good, sustainable industrial jobs for the future.

The report outlines concrete measures to strengthen social dialogue and accelerate sustainable practices in Europe’s extractive industries.

Key Findings:

  • Social dialogue is a strategic asset for just and sustainable transitions. Across company, national, sectoral, and EU levels, robust social dialogue helps improve working conditions, support training and re-training, and manage the just transition. All key to meeting the sector’s sustainability challenges;
  • The main ingredients determining success are: a supportive state framework that encourages social dialogue and collective bargaining, representative participation, and a strong willingness from both sides to negotiate. All prerequisites identified for durable, high-quality social dialogue;
  • Practical examples show impact in health and safety at work, inclusion, and skills. Cases include NEPSI’s multisectoral agreement on crystalline silica, Spain’s Mining Safety Commission, and transnational practice sharing via European Works Councils, which demonstrate how social dialogue improves Occupational Safety and Health (OSH), encourages good practices, and strengthens capacity.
  • Governance innovations accelerate acceptance and performance. Participatory mechanisms (e.g., France’s public debate process/CNDP) and regional strategies (e.g., Andalusia’s SSMA 2030 with social-partner leadership), which include trade unions and employers’ organisations, help build trust, enable earlier information-sharing, and integrate social aims with environmental goals.
  • Skills and transition readiness improvement: joint training plans and co-designed upskilling pathways help workers adapt to digitalisation, automation, and low-carbon processes, supporting competitiveness and retention.
  • The SODISEES project combines desk research, interviews, a partner survey, and workshops in Seville, Stockholm, and Katowice to map challenges and good practices across six themes: social dialogue; quality jobs; inclusion and diversity; innovation; training and skills; and green transition.

“This project sends a clear message: Europe’s industrial future must be built with workers, not around them. The extractive industries are vital to our strategic autonomy and industrial resilience—but they will only be sustainable if they are also socially just. Social dialogue is not a procedural add-on; it is the democratic infrastructure that ensures industrial policy delivers for people, regions, and communities. The examples documented in this report prove that when workers have a seat at the table, solutions are smarter, fairer, and more durable. If Europe wants to secure its raw materials and maintain its license to operate, it must invest in strong social partnerships and inclusive governance. There is no responsible industrial strategy without social dialogue.” said Judith Kirton Darling, General Secretary, industriAll Europe

“Strong social dialogue is key for a resilient and competitive mining industry in Europe. The SODISEES project and its latest report show how collaboration between employers and workers can build trust, enhance skills, and promote sustainable, long-term growth for both the industry and the communities it serves” added Rolf Kuby, Director General, Euromines

Policy context

The project operates within the EU’s sectoral social dialogue architecture and addresses the needed social pillar on which Europe’s extractive industries should be built, including the need to align with evolving EU policy, critical raw materials needs, and just-transition objectives. Sector-level dialogue’s priorities identified in the report include quality of work, health & safety at work, and skills for the twin transition.

Background

Minerals are essential for Europe’s green and digital transitions, yet operations face complex environmental and social challenges, from decarbonisation and water use to biodiversity, community acceptance, and job quality. The report concludes that true sustainability cannot be achieved without addressing social challenges through genuine social dialogue. When social dialogue is meaningful e, employers and workers co-create solutions that improve working conditions, strengthen social outcomes, and build long-term resilience and competitiveness.

More information

Full report and media kit here