Short cuts

International Conference "Changing Course for a Good Life"

With a call to "change course", which links an eco­lo­gi­cal restruc­tu­ring of the eco­nomy with the expan­sion of life oppor­tu­nities and the demo­cra­tiza­tion of society, IG Metall - the German Industrial Union of Metalworkers - intends to add its own con­cep­tual con­tri­bu­tion to the broa­der social debate.

Here you will find the schedule

IG Metall’s com­mit­ment to link eco­lo­gi­cal and social ques­ti­ons has a long tra­di­tion, dating back to the IG Metall Congress "Task for the Future: Quality of Life" held in Oberhausen in 1972, and the initial report by the Club of Rome entit­led "The Limits to Growth" (which also appeared in 1972). The con­ti­nuing exa­cer­ba­tion of glo­bal cri­ses – both eco­no­mic and eco­lo­gi­cal – makes clear that we must put a call to change course on our agenda with more urgency.

IG Metall is orga­ni­zing an inter­na­tio­nal con­fe­rence to be held in Berlin from 5th-7th December 2012 at which we intend to pro­mote and inten­sify the dis­cus­sion of trade union posi­ti­ons. Conference dele­ga­tes will dis­cuss a new con­cept of pro­gress for indus­tria­li­zed socie­ties and alter­na­tive paths for deve­lop­ment with rep­re­sen­ta­ti­ves from poli­tics, aca­de­mia, environ­men­tal asso­cia­ti­ons and business.

At the con­fe­rence there will be twelve forums and
two round tables to the future of social Europe.

Forums at the conference:

1. Growth Discourse - Is there a soci­ally and eco­lo­gi­cally rea­son­able level of eco­no­mic growth? How should it look like?
2. Regulation of the Financial Market - How can we con­fine the destruc­tive influ­en­ces of the finan­cial mar­ket sys­tem? How can we reduce finan­cial mar­kets to a level necessary for real economy?
3. Global Inequality - How can the demand for equal chan­ces be rea­li­zed? How can we over­come glo­bal ine­qua­lity des­pite limited resources?
4. Sustainable Restructuring of Industry - How can we esta­blish a sus­tainable indus­trial policy? What are the import­ant parameters?
5. The Future of Work-oriented Society - Are the con­cepts for full employ­ment and stan­dard working times rea­listic objec­tives? What are the pro­s­pects of pro­fes­si­ons and how will employ­ment deve­lop in the future?
6. Revitalization of Democracy - How far has the cri­sis of demo­cra­tic insti­tu­ti­ons alre­ady advan­ced? How can fur­ther demo­cra­tiza­tion of society be improved?
7. Industry "going green" - How do com­pa­nies create and use new green growth mar­kets? How can work coun­cils and NGOs influ­ence invest­ment strategies?
8. The Architecture of Energy Transition - How can we manage energy tran­si­tion to become a pro­ject with regard of inno­va­tion and employment?
9. Future of Mobility: Future of the Transport Industry - What chan­ges do we have to expect in the traf­fic indus­try if traf­fic sys­tems are beco­m­ing more connected?
10. Decent Work - In which way does work load change? How to improve the qua­lity of work? What will work look like in the future?
11. Life Opportunities and fair Distribution - What is necessary to unfold life oppor­tu­nities? What is the signi­fi­cance of equal oppor­tu­nities and how can gen­der equa­lity be achieved?
12. Democratization of the Economy - How can we expand the influ­ence of the working class on invest­ment and stra­te­gic com­pany deci­si­ons? How can this be com­bi­ned with the social and eco­lo­gi­cal tran­si­tion process?

Europe´s Prospects
Round table 1: What will a New Social Contract for Europe look like?
Round table 2: Trade Unions´ Paths towards a Social Europe