Published on 27th June 2025
On 25 June, the World Employment Confederation-Europe (WEC-Europe) and UNI-Europa, the European social partners for the agency work sector, held a high-level conference to mark the conclusion of their joint project on capacity building in social dialogue.
Laura Spangenberg, Chairwoman of the Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee of WEC-Europe describes the project’s objectives: “Our project contributes to the EU agenda of strengthening social dialogue at both regional and national levels, reinforcing its role as a cornerstone of the European social model. We aim to enhance the capacity of sectoral social partners while fully respecting the national frameworks and traditions of social dialogue.”
Sectoral social partners have been at the forefront of developing innovative solutions to help companies and workers in the agency work sector adapt to change, particularly in the areas of training, social protection and working conditions. In such transformative times, labour markets could use a good dose of innovation! The project was therefore also keen to collect good practices already implemented across Europe to encourage their transferability.
“Our project promoted cross-country collaboration, knowledge exchange, and practical guidance to address structural and labour market challenges. This strategic groundwork sets the stage for meaningful reforms and collaborative solutions to benefit agency workers, employers, and labour markets at large,” adds Dimitris Theodorakis, Director for Post & Logistics / Platform & Agency Workers / Services’ Social Dialogue Coordination, at UNI-Europa.
Fostering Skills
One of the project’s focal points was addressing the challenges in skills development. With soft skills becoming increasingly essential yet difficult to teach in traditional settings, the project emphasized the value of on-the-job learning through temporary assignments and apprenticeships. However, funding remains a significant hurdle. Currently, only 0.1% of public spending is allocated to lifelong learning, compared to 4% for early education. The project points to more agile and responsive funding mechanisms to support continuous upskilling.
Effective training also depends on the expertise of coaches and recruiters, who must be equipped to understand candidates’ motivations and match them with suitable learning opportunities that will then lead to fulfilling work opportunities. The agency work sector has pioneered many such initiatives, often through public-private partnerships, though barriers such as mistrust between stakeholders persist. The project can help bridge such gaps by fostering mutual understanding and sharing best practices across Europe, and it reflects priorities outlined in the recent European Commission initiative for a Union of Skills.
Advancing Social Protection
The conference also showcased how social dialogue has led to innovative social protection measures at local and national levels. These initiatives often complement slower-moving national systems. Countries like France, Italy, Belgium, and the Netherlands are leading the way, and the sector hopes to inspire broader adoption across Europe.
One key issue to tackle is to ensure that agency workers maintain access to benefits even when changing assignments or agencies. For the agencies, the sector is concerned about fair competition and the sustainability of the agency work model, due to the growing competition from other flexible work models that do not offer comparable social protection benefits.
Improving Working Conditions
Ensuring that agency workers are aware of their rights—particularly regarding pay or health and safety—is another priority. Despite robust legal frameworks at international, European and national levels and ongoing self-regulatory efforts, too many rogue operators continue to undermine standards.
WEC-Europe and its members are committed to eradicating such practices and promoting responsible intermediation in the labour market. The joint project with UNI Europa can certainly also help promote solutions to ensure better practices in this area.
Next Steps
The insights gathered during the conference will inform the final project report, set to be published in the coming weeks. This report will serve as a valuable resource for policymakers, social partners, and stakeholders across Europe, offering concrete examples and recommendations to strengthen social dialogue and improve outcomes for agency workers.
Stay tuned for the full report and further updates on how WEC-Europe and UNI-Europa are shaping the future of work through collaboration and innovation.
