On 20 January 2019, Citizens’ Dialogue in Esch-Belval with Nicolas Schmit, European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights
The inauguration of the new EDIC University of Luxembourg was followed by the Citizens’ Dialogue with EU Commissioner Nicolas Schmit at the Maison des Arts et des Etudiants in Esch-Belval.
Dr Elena Danescu, coordinator of the EDIC office, moderated the Citizens’ Dialogue.
Over 350 citizens, including many students, attended the event and took the opportunity to ask questions about youth unemployment, the European youth programme, Brexit, the integration of refugees in the economy, the minimum pay wage, the future measures against the gender pay gap, the workforce of the European Union and the improvement of social rights in Europe.
“We want to re-establish the dignity of work, an ambitious programme, and by doing so we want to guarantee that each person’s income allows them to live with dignity,” declared Commissioner Schmit, at the start of the dialogue at the University of Luxembourg.
Commissioner Schmit explained the role of the European Union in the history of social rights and the future of the labour market in Europe: “it is certain that there will be a transformation of labour due to the new technologies (…) we estimate that in the next 5 years we have to requalify at least half of the work force in Europe’’.
Reflections on media
