The debates at the Stakeholder Forum of the "Digitising European Industry" initiative in Essen (31 Jan - 01 Feb 2017) have highlighted the importance of the social dimension of the digitalisation process. In front of increased fears about the ultimate consequences of digitalisation on employment, this social dimension should be given priority.

Currently, industrial policies tend to have an "ambulance" view of social issues: action is taken to develop technologies and markets, and the social ambulance passes behind to take care of the dead and of the wounded.

In industriAll European trade union's views, this order of priorities should be reverted: social issues first. It is only when people feel that:

• they are given a fair share of the value added - i.e. with equality
• they have sufficient confidence in their own future - i.e. with predictability

that they are ready to change, and that they trust the others enough to cooperate with them - i.e. they are ready to innovate. Therefore, good social conditions are the prerequisite for the uptake and dissemination of innovations - and specifically for socially disruptive innovations such as those brought by digital technologies.

Concretely, we believe that the opportunity should be taken of the upcoming foundational meeting of the "Platforms of platforms", in Rome on 23 March 2017, to launch platforms for social dialogue on digitalisation in all Member States where these platforms exist or are planned, in order to discuss the social consequences of the digitalisation of industry. These social platforms could follow the template of the "Arbeiten 4.0" discussions held in Germany or in Austria, and must include the trade unions.

Seen from a trade union perspective, the purpose of these dialogues should be to ensure that, in a digitally-transformed society and industry, every person be enabled to:

• earn a decent living from his/her work - i.e. prevent unemployment and in-work poverty
• have a reasonable confidence in his/her future - i.e. prevent precariousness.

This may lead to situations that are locally non-optimal. However, fulfilling these requirements makes our societies collectively inclusive, innovative and able to adapt to the massive societal challenges of the 21st century. It is also is the price for democracy.