A new Committee on Employment and Social Affairs

Over the summer, Parliament appointed the members of its various committees, which draw up reports, in preparation for their adoption at a plenary session. The composition of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs is now significantly different, with around 80% of its members sitting on it for the first time. It has lost a number of previous members who were close to the trade union movement, including Dutch MEP Agnes Jongerius (S&D) and Danish MEP Nikolaj Villumsen (The Left), as well as some influential personalities, such as France’s Sylvie Brunet, who supported the platform workers directive and Malta’s Alex Agius Saliba (S&D), who put forward a proposal for a directive on the right to disconnect. However, two heavyweights have remained on the committee: Gabriele Bischoff (S&D) and Dennis Radtke (EPP), the German MEPs whose work has focused in particular on the issues of democracy at work and revision of the European Works Council directive. Their presence should ensure a degree of continuity in monitoring the revision of this directive. Another very active Parliamentarian, Leila Chaibi (The Left), who championed the platform workers directive, has also been reappointed, this time as coordinator of its political group. The Luxembourg MEP Marc Angel (S&D), who is a mainstay of the trade union movement, also remains. Li Andersson (photo), the former Minister of Education within Sanna Marin’s government, and ex-leader of the Left Alliance party, has been elected as President of the Committee, and will be the bête noire of far-right MEPs. She wants the committee to take several issues forward: reform of the rules governing public procurement contracts, regulation of long subcontracting chains and the use of artificial intelligence in the workplace, as well as enhancing social dialogue and the security of working conditions.