Blogs - the description of sectors

The energy sector

As part of the E-GRUiEN project (Strengthening governance in response to the green and digital transition), the on-demand transport sector – which includes both traditional taxi services and digital platforms such as Uber and Bolt – has been identified as one of the four main sectors to be studied. Alongside energy, car manufacturing and care services, it is a key example for examining how the twin green and digital transitions are reshaping work, labour relations and the future of social dialogue in Europe

Why energy?
Energy is the foundation for all other sectors of the economy – from transport and industry to services and daily life. It is also an area where change is especially rapid:

For the fossil fuel sector, the challenge is managing decline – closing mines and power plants, retraining workers, and compensating communities dependent on extraction.
For the renewable energy sector, the challenge is managing expansion – developing new technologies, securing access to skilled labour, and building new structures of representation and dialogue.

Both processes – phasing out “old” energy and building “new” – require effective social dialogue to avoid tensions and ensure a just transition

What do we study in WP4?

Analyse data – statistics, legal and institutional frameworks, and the positions of social partners in 9 European countries.
Conduct interviews with workers’ and employers’ representatives and institutions to understand strategies towards the green and digital transition.
Organise focus groups with social dialogue actors to co-produce future pathways of dialogue adapted to the realities of transformation.

Why does it matter?

Without energy there is no development. But without social dialogue, the energy transition risks deepening inequalities and generating conflicts. Research carried out in WP4 seeks to show how social dialogue functions (or fails) in times of disruption – and how it can be strengthened.

The aim is not only to understand current processes but also to co-create new opportunities for social dialogue that will help the energy sector navigate the twin transition in a way that is just, inclusive, and future-oriented.

The automotive sector

The automotive sector is one of the four main research areas of EGRUiEN, with Working Package 3 focusing on it in particular. The industry is at the centre of a twin transition, moving from combustion engine production to electromobility while implementing new digital technologies. This transformation poses a major challenge but also creates new opportunities for workers, employers and social partners.

One of the most important industries in Europe

The automotive sector is one of the most important industries in Europe, employing millions of workers across different skill levels. It is undergoing significant market disruption, including competition between traditional manufacturers such as Volkswagen and Stellantis and new electric vehicle producers such as Tesla and BYD. The shift to electric vehicles and the digitisation of production requires the restructuring of workforce skills and the adaptation of social dialogue structures to mitigate potential social impacts.

Work Package 3 aims to generate knowledge on the automotive sector in nine case countries through the analysis of macro-level data on industrial relations and the effects of the twin transition. It seeks to better understand bargaining and decision-making processes and how the sector responds to green and digital transformation. It also examines how social dialogue influences social and economic outcomes and co-produces new approaches to social dialogue adapted to the future of work in this sector.

Research activities

Research activities include institutional and statistical analyses based on legal and economic data, semi-structured interviews with around ninety actors across nine countries, and focus groups simulating negotiation dynamics to co-develop future pathways of social dialogue.

The automotive sector illustrates how well-designed social dialogue institutions can help mitigate the disruptive effects of industrial transformation by supporting workers moving from carbon-intensive production to electric vehicle manufacturing. Strengthening worker representation, particularly for medium-skilled occupations at risk from automation and restructuring, and integrating social dialogue into adaptation strategies will be crucial for balancing competitiveness and social responsibility in this key industry.

These studies will provide insight into how more flexible and inclusive social dialogue mechanisms can be built to address the challenges of rapidly changing markets and technologies.

Transport on-demand

Why focus on on-demand transport?

The on-demand transport sector is currently one of the most dynamic and, at the same time, most affected service sectors in Europe. The rapid development of platform-based business models has fundamentally changed the way services are provided and work is organised.

Traditional taxi companies are being overtaken or taken over, and the growth of platform work has introduced non-standard forms of employment that often lack clear safeguards and representation.

This fragmentation of employment structures has weakened the collective representation of workers and limited their ability to engage in meaningful negotiation processes. The E-GRUiEN project takes this context as a starting point to explore how governance and social dialogue can be adapted to better support workers and ensure a fairer transition.

Research objectives and scope

The E-GRUiEN research in the on-demand transport sector aims to gain an in-depth and comparative understanding of the evolution of this sector in nine European countries. The work is organised around four key objectives.

The first is to gain a solid understanding of the macro-structural and legal dimensions of the sector. This includes collecting and analysing data on market size, legal frameworks, employment patterns and the impact of the digital and green transitions on the sector as a whole.

The second objective focuses on understanding how decision-making and negotiation processes currently work. Through semi-structured interviews with stakeholders, including employers, trade unions and platform representatives, the project identifies power dynamics, strategies and gaps in representation.

The third area of research concerns the impact of these changes on the social and economic outcomes of workers and employers. It addresses issues such as job quality, employment status, income security and institutional capacity to respond to change.

Finally, the project goes beyond observation and moves towards co-creation. Focus groups involving key actors simulate negotiation situations and jointly explore ways to strengthen social dialogue structures in a sector characterised by informality and fragmentation.

A sector characterised by fragmentation and weak representation

Compared to more traditional sectors organised in trade unions, such as energy or car manufacturing, on-demand transport is characterised by loose organisational structures and the dominance of private actors. Employment is often self-employed or contract-based, which significantly hinders collective bargaining and the establishment of standards.

This lack of coherence weakens the sector's ability to adapt fairly to the digital and green transitions. Workers are often isolated and have no formal channels to influence decisions that directly affect their working conditions.

From research to action

The aim of the project is not only to describe the current challenges, but also to formulate practical, forward-looking recommendations. These are intended to serve as a source of information for EU decision-makers, national governments, labour market institutions and actors within the sector itself.

By identifying institutional gaps and examples of good practice, our project aims to provide guidance on rebuilding or strengthening bargaining structures, increasing the voice of workers – especially those in non-standard forms of work – and ensuring that the digital and green transition does not come at the expense of fairness and inclusion.

A comparative perspective from a European point of view

Importantly, the project methodology takes into account the diversity of European contexts. Although the on-demand transport sector is largely shaped by international companies, its role and regulation vary significantly across countries. E-GRUiEN's comparative approach allows for a deeper understanding of how different institutional models respond to similar challenges and which elements can be transferred or adapted in different contexts.

Care sector

Why we study the care sector?

In the face of growing digital and green transformations, not all sectors experience disruption in the same way. In some, like care services, social dialogue can help manage the transition, however, this potential is challenged by the sector’s generally weak worker representation.

While highly skilled professionals such as doctors and specialists tend to be well protected, the care sector in Europe increasingly depends on precarious workers, particularly in elderly care and long-term care services. These workers often lack collective bargaining power and operate under non-standard employment conditions.

Our project seeks to address this gap by taking a deep, multi-country look at how the care sector is responding to the twin transitions.

Through four key objectives, we aim to:

Objective 6.1: Generate knowledge on care systems (healthcare, elderly care, and long-term care) across 9 European countries* by gathering data on industrial relations, legal frameworks, and the impact of current transitions.

Objective 6.2: Explore how decisions are made in the sector by interviewing key actors to understand their roles, strategies, and how they engage with digital and green changes.

Objective 6.3: Analyze how these transitions and the capacity for social dialogue shape both social and economic outcomes for all actors in the sector.

Objective 6.4: Co-create practical pathways to adapt social dialogue structures to the future of work ensuring more inclusive representation and resilience.

From statistical data to institutional mapping, from expert interviews to collaborative focus groups, our goal is not only to understand the current dynamics but also to support new, more inclusive ways of managing change.

The care sector may be underrepresented, but through this work, we hope to give it a stronger voice.