Can Trade Unions Contribute to the Future Competitiveness of the European Steel Industry? The Role of Social Dialogue in the Development of Qualifications and Competencies

The aim of this paper is to present trade union views on the challenges facing the European (and global) steel industries. This refers especially to calls for the development of social dialogue around the issue of human capital investment. Since most of the EU steel sector is under control of multinational corporations, cross-border co-ordination of trade union activity is becoming more and more crucial. Proactive policies for training and lifelong learning, moving beyond a nation-state focus, are also high on the agenda. The authors then look at social dialogue in the Polish steel industry aimed at the improvement of qualifications, an issue becoming increasingly important due to anticipated repercussions of the generation gap in this sector.