Křesťan a práce, z. s., Czech Republic (KAP)
EZA-European Centre for Workers’ Questions, Königswinter, Germany

Report from the EZA/KAP Seminar in Prague, May 21-22, 2026
Funded by the European Union as EZA project No. 01-04-26-SE

“Compass for Competitiveness and Union of Skills“

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The seminar was attended by 60 participants in person, including 12 interpreters, and 1 technician. Following EZA partner organizations participated – ACV (B), CFTC (FR), CFTL (PT), Fidestra (PT), IFES (RO), JOC (B), KAB (Aachen, DE), KOK (CZ), LPS Solidarismus (LT), ÖZA (AT), Podkrepa (BG), SAUATT (AL), SFDM (NM), Solidarność (PL), UHM (MT). Number of foreign participants: Albania 2, Austria 1, Belgium 5, Bulgaria 1, Germany 4, Italy 1, Lithuania 3, Malta 1, North Macedonia 2, Poland 2, Portugal 3, Romania 3, Spain 1, Ukraine 2. From Czech Republic 28 persons – mostly members of KAP, 1 member of KOK. A total of 12 speakers spoke from: Czech Republic 3, France 1, Germany 2, Malta 1, North Macedonia 2, Spain 1, Ukraine 2.

The main objective was to empower trade union leaders and representatives with the knowledge, strategic tools, and enhanced capacity to actively shape policies and practices related to competitiveness and skills development, ensuring a socially just and sustainable future of work in Europe. Operational Objectives included:

1. To enhance understanding of the interplay between competitiveness and skills.

2. To strengthen the capacity of trade unions in skills development and lifelong learning.

3. To foster effective social dialogue on competitiveness and the future of work.

4. To promote a human-centred approach to competitiveness and technological change.

The discussed topics included:

• Haven’t we lost the “compass”? The crisis of Solidarity in European Leadership: the danger of a shift toward a one-sided focus on deregulation and the interests of large financial institutions at the expense of ordinary workers and vulnerable groups. (Introductory presentation of Sigrid Schraml)
• Historical Foundation of the EU: A reminder that the European project was built on the principles of progress, shared prosperity, and social cohesion, rather than just a single market.
• The Lisbon Strategy, the European Social Fund, and the European Pillar of Social Rights as essential tools for dignity and equality.
• Necessity of a deeper integration of the EU, support of the conclusion of the Draghi and Letta’s reports. (Pavel Zufan)
• Competitiveness and Christian Values: Analysis of competitiveness not as an end in itself, but as a means subordinated to human dignity and the common good, well-rooted in the social doctrine of the church. (Joseph Thouvenel)
• Competitiveness characteristics of particular regions, advantages, lessons for others.
• Labor Market Dynamics and Well-being: Research on how switching to self-employment affects well-being across different age groups and the growing role of the “gig economy” as a precarious form of employment. (Ana Patricia Fanjul Alemani)
• Skills for the Future: The shift from natural resources to knowledge-based competitiveness, focusing on flexibility, digital, green, and soft skills.
• Trade Unions as Strategic Partners: The evolving role of unions in promoting lifelong learning, identifying skills gaps, and bridging the divide between workers and employers through social dialogue.
• Resilience and Geopolitics: EU’s competitive position in the context of the Letta and Draghi reports, and the impact of geopolitical instability on the European economy.
• National Perspectives: Specific challenges, e.g. in Germany (balancing social cohesion with industry pressure – Miriam Catulo), Malta (skills development in healthcare – Jonathan De Gabriele), North Macedonia (youth unemployment and brain drain – Goce Trajkovski) or Ukraine (competitiveness contributing to social justice in the context of Ukrainian-Czech relations – Marko-Bohdan Kalynyak and Andriy Levyk).

Seminar results included:

• The EU can only become stronger if more integrated – not a “politically popular” way, but the only one possible.
• Diluting European regulatory autonomy and lowering social standards is not the correct path to improving competitiveness.
• Identifying Social Threats: A warning about the “bleak picture” of the present, where one-fifth of the EU population is at risk of poverty or social exclusion, and homelessness is rising.
• Defining True Competitiveness: The conclusion that competitiveness is only achievable through quality jobs, robust social protection, and high-grade public services, rather than by scrapping rules.
• Call for Human-Centred Competitiveness: “fair competition” to be perceived as a source of fulfilment and talent development.
• Entrepreneurship Insights: Finding that while self-employment increases job satisfaction, younger entrepreneurs face higher distress and resource constraints compared to older, more psychologically resilient peers.
• Gig Economy Warning: Recognition that the gig economy is largely an entryway for the unemployed rather than a stable path to entrepreneurship, often lacking health insurance and union representation.
• Strategic Alignment: the actions need to be closely bound with the agreed goals, enabling and empowering individuals to participate and take responsibility for their own commitment and professional growth.

Resolutions and demands:

• Harmonization of Rules – equal social protection and employment policies for both standard and non-standard (gig) workers.
• Funding for Training: Call for increased national and employer-funded programs for vocational training and reskilling to address the “skills mismatch”.
• Regulatory Simplification: Support for the calls for regulatory simplification to enhance financial and digital integration.
• Training Rights: Inclusion of the “right to training” and “paid training leave” in all future collective bargaining agreements.

Consequences for daily work:

• Active Monitoring: Trade unions and labour organizations should conduct regular surveys and workplace assessments to identify emerging skills needs before they become critical gaps, and design their contributions to solution of these issues.
• Advocacy for Inclusion: Organizations need to focus specifically on access to training for vulnerable groups, including youth and women, to reduce inequality in skill acquisition.
• Shift in Dialogue: Moving social dialogue from purely wage-based negotiations to strategic discussions about long-term employability and technological adaptation.
• Building an Alternative: Promoting values that offer a credible alternative to the visions of the United States or China by strengthening the European identity.

Realizing seminar results in daily work:

• Balancing economic competitiveness with social justice and personal development.
• Partnerships: Strengthening collaboration with training institutions and government bodies to operate union-run training centres.
• Empowerment Programs: Implementing “Empowerment” workshops that foster professional flexibility and personal responsibility among members.
• Focus on Future Skills: Competitiveness in the modern world depends on knowledge and innovation rather than cheap labor. Efforts should focus on three main areas: digital skills, green skills (sustainability), and soft skills (teamwork and communication).
• Harmonizing Employment Rules: There is a necessary push to harmonize policies and social protections across all employment forms ensuring inclusiveness and extending employee flexibility.
• Lifelong Learning: Support must be provided for workers transitioning between roles or industries, with a specific focus on ensuring training access for youth, women, and vulnerable groups.
• Research and Development: Increase investments in R&D to help the EU overcome its current lag behind global competitors.

Unions as Strategic Partners: Trade unions should transition from being just defenders of rights to becoming strategic partners who help identify skills gaps through workplace assessments.

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