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EFCI News – Issue 3 | January 2020
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NEW YEAR’S MESSAGE FROM EFCI’S PRESIDENT
Dear Colleagues,
It is with great pleasure that I wish you all a happy and healthy New Year 2020, full of memorable moments and success in your personal and professional lives.
2019 was a year of great achievements for the EFCI and marked the successful renovation of our Federation. In 2020, we face different challenges at the European level. The new European Commission and Parliament will be putting forward legislation that will have a great impact on our sector, especially on social affairs and regarding the European Green Deal.
In order to accompany the industry to overcome the challenges it may face, as well as to make the best out of the existing ones (such as the digital transition or the need to put the focus on quality criteria in procurement), we will work to reinforce the commitment of members and foster dialogue with industry stakeholders and decision-makers at EU level.
With that purpose, we have already launched the work to create a Circular Economy Guide for the industry. Further, we will be launching shortly an EU-funded project on digital skills and training in the sector. We are also strongly committed to our role of Social Partners with the Unions and European Institutions. In order to continue working and to achieve the objectives of the Federation, I ask for your strong cooperation and commitment throughout the year.
I take the occasion to warmly invite you to EFCI’s 2020 General Assembly that will take place on 11-12 June in Barcelona.
I am looking forward to strong and fruitful cooperation and I wish you again a peaceful and successful New Year.
Juan Díez de los Ríos
President of the EFCI
THE ICCA JOINS THE EFCI
The ICCA became member of the EFCI on 1 January 2020. Established in 2000, the ICCA is the representative body for the professional commercial contract cleaning industry in Ireland. The ICCA has 29 members and is developing strong work around TUPE, training of middle managers and the recognition of the sector in Ireland by, among others, organising the annual ICCA Industry Awards.
The Chair of the ICCA since September 2018 is Avril McCarthy, General Manager of Derrycourt. The EFCI is very happy to welcome the ICCA to its membership and is looking forward to a strong cooperation.
THE EFCI LAUNCHES WORK ON CIRCULAR ECONOMY
At the end of 2019, the European Parliament declared a climate emergency, the European Commission proposed the “European Green Deal” and the European Council endorsed “the objective of achieving a climate-neutral EU by 2050”. This very significant political steps and plans intend to bring the world’s largest market for goods and services to align its entire economy with the goals of the Paris Agreement. “No one (an no business) will be left behind”, the European Commission has repeatedly stated. The EFCI has decided to accompany the sector in the challenges and transformations ahead.
Indeed, the European Green Deal has already been qualified as the European Union’s most significant endeavour since the creation of the Single Market. Through 47 specific actions and with an ambitious financial plan, the European Green Deal will shape the industries and markets for decades to come. It is therefore an opportunity for businesses and stakeholders to engage in transformative climate and innovation actions that deliver key social and economic impacts and meet the urgency of the climate crisis.
More specifically, the European Commission aims to ensure coherence between industrial, environmental, climate and energy policy to create an optimal business environment for sustainable growth, job creation and innovation. The Commission also supports European industry in the move to a climate-neutral economy and improves the energy efficiency of products through Eco-design legislation. Regarding more closely to Circular Economy, the Commission is undertaking a range of actions to support the move to a more circular economy, and after its first 2015 Action Plan for the Circular Economy, it has already announced its intention to soon issue a new one.
Convinced that integrating into the Circular Economy can contribute to innovation, growth and job creation, the EFCI wants to make sure that all the above can turn into a business opportunity for the sector. Further, the EFCI also wants to ensure that the services sector plays a role in the industrial strategy for the green transformation. As the Commission says, “the transition is an opportunity to foster sustainable and job-intensive economic activity”, and the EFCI is convinced that cleaning and facility services will not only benefit but also contribute to a successful green transition.
The EFCI has therefore already started to work to accompany the sector in this transition. During the coming months, it will exchange with its members’ experts, leading companies in innovation and sustainability matters and other stakeholders, to develop a guide that will be presented next autumn.
GERMAN MINIMUM SALARY REUNIFICATION
The cleaning sector becomes one of the first to harmonise East and West minimum salaries in Germany.
In October 2019, the Bundesinnungsverband des Gebäudereiniger-Handwerks (BIV) and IG BAU (trade union side) unanimously agreed on a new framework collective agreement. On 1 January 2020, the third part of the agreement for the period 2018-2020 on wage increases in the cleaning sector came into force
The generally binding minimum wage in the lowest wage group will rise to € 10.80/hour ( in the West, and from December 1, 2020 nationwide) and € 10.55/hour (in the east). The second generally binding minimum wage for the industry, which includes facade and glass cleaning (wage group 6), increases to € 14.10/hour (West, and nationwide as of December 1, 2020) and € 13.50/hour (East).
Therefore, as of December 2020, all wages in East Germany for these sectors will automatically increase to match the minimum quantity in the West.
Most importantly, the minimum wages in the German industrial cleaning sector continue to be a 15% above the national minimum wage, set to € 9.35/hour in 2020.
NEW POLICY ADVISOR AT THE EFCI
Sergi Queralt joined the EFCI Secretariat as Policy Advisor on 13th January, replacing Marion Mazabrard, who left the Secretariat to explore new professional challenges. Sergi joined the EFCI from Social Services Europe. He completed his studies in Psychology and Organisational Development with a master’s degree in Business Administration. After working in Germany and interning in EASME (the European Agency for SMEs), he completed his education with a master in EU Affairs in the Université Catholique de Louvain. He speaks Spanish, English, French and German. Sergi will be mainly working in the social affairs matters and the development of the SK-Clean project. He will also work in sustainability-related files and in communication matters.
EFCI’S SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITITES
Building on the current growth of the EFCI and the success of its recent events and advocacy initiatives, the EFCI has decided to open some of its activities to sponsorship in 2020. Sponsorship opportunities are exclusively opened to suppliers.
The EFCI proposes 3 sponsorship packages: sponsoring of EFCI’s monthly external newsletter; sponsoring EFCI’s statistical survey and/or membership to the “Circle for suppliers”. For further details, please consult this page and do not hesitate to contact secretariat@efci.eu.
Sponsoring EFCI’s work will give organisations a new source of visibility towards industry players at national and EU level, and with relevant EU stakeholders. It will also help to defend the interests of the cleaning and facility services industry, which has an undisputable relevance in our economy.
