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Email this article SUSTAINABLE LABOUR MANAGEMENT IN THE EU: REGULATORY FRAMEWORKS AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS FOR INCLUSIVE INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT
Abstract
Objectives: This article aims to analyse how sustainable labour management can promote inclusive economic growth within the European Union. It examines the regulatory frameworks and institutional mechanisms that shape EU labour governance. The study seeks to understand how labour strategies can reconcile competitiveness, social justice, and environmental responsibility. Additionally, it positions sustainable labour management within broader social policy paradigms such as social investment and flexicurity.
Methodology: The research adopts a qualitative methodological approach based on an extensive literature review and analysis of EU regulatory frameworks. It examines key directives and policy instruments shaping labour governance at the supranational and national levels. A comparative case study method is applied to Germany, Sweden, and Denmark. This approach allows the identification of best practices and structural challenges in sustainable labour management.
Results: The findings demonstrate that sustainable labour management operates as a hybrid governance model integrating economic, social, and environmental dimensions. Germany’s dual vocational training system enhances productivity and reduces youth unemployment. Sweden’s gender equality and work-life balance policies strengthen inclusive participation. Denmark’s flexicurity model combines labour flexibility with strong social protection, although it presents certain trade-offs for vulnerable workers.
Conclusions: The study concludes that sustainable labour management requires coordinated multilevel governance aligned with digital and green transitions. EU labour policy must integrate lifelong learning, social protection, and ecological responsibility to ensure long-term resilience. A hybrid framework combining social investment and flexicurity paradigms provides a viable path forward. Ultimately, inclusive prosperity in the EU depends on cohesive, forward-looking labour strategies.
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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.21902/Revrima.v2i52.8349
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