CoESS responds to Social Partner consultation on a future EU Quality Jobs Act
CoESS has submitted its contribution to the European Commission’s Social Partner consultation on a future EU Quality Jobs Act, a dossier expected to become one of the key labour legislation initiatives of the Commission’s current mandate and therefore of high relevance for the security services industry.
As EU Sectoral Social Partner in private security services, CoESS supports the Commission view that quality jobs and competitiveness go hand in hand, and that modern employment must keep pace with structural changes such as digitalisation, artificial intelligence (AI), and evolving forms of work.
CoESS underlines that job quality is multi-dimensional, shaped by working conditions, health and safety, wages, job security, access to training, collective bargaining coverage, social dialogue, work-life balance and equal opportunities. At the same time, CoESS stresses that job quality is not a static concept and should guide targeted and proportionate EU action, rather than a rigid legal definition disconnected from sectoral realities.
From the perspective of the private security services industry, CoESS also highlights that quality jobs are a prerequisite for resilience and preparedness. As an essential services sector employing around 2 million private security workers, the industry provides 24/7 protection of citizens, Critical Infrastructure, public spaces and major events, including support to first responders during emergencies and crises. Ensuring attractive career pathways, adequate training and working conditions adapted to sectoral realities is therefore indispensable.
In its response, CoESS points to public procurement as a central lever for improving job quality, calling on the Commission to make the ongoing revision of Directive 2014/24/EU a core pillar of the Quality Jobs initiative. CoESS argues that clearer rules and greater legal certainty are needed to enable contracting authorities to award private security contracts based on quality criteria - rather than lowest price alone - supporting fair competition, innovation and preparedness across Europe. A response to the dedicated consultation on public procurement was already submitted at the beginning of this week.
Find here the full CoESS contribution to the EU Quality Jobs Act, including recommendations on AI at work, sub-contracting and occupational health and safety.