A conference organised by the Ministry of the Family, Labour and Social Policy as part of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union was held at the European Solidarity Centre in Gdańsk on 20-21 February 2025. The European leaders met with Deputy Labour Minister Sebastian Gajewski, Deputy Minister Łukasz Krasoń, Deputy Minister Katarzyna Nowakowska and Director General of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy Liwiusz Laska.

Gdańsk: an important point on the road to freedom and a shared future

Minister Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bąk, who was unable to attend in person, welcomed the guests from a big screen.

She began her speech by recalling that it was Gdańsk where a great tragedy of Europe began in September 1939 and, decades later, where this part of Europe's journey towards the European Union began in 1980. The peaceful uprising of Polish shipyard workers against an undemocratic system in the name of human dignity, freedom, social justice and equality, which are our common European values.

"Safe Europe is the main motto of the Polish Presidency. Presenting his objectives before the European Parliament on 22 January, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk argued that Europe must radically increase defence spending, focus on the security of the European economy and the energy security of Europeans. This is, of course, the case. 

No less important is social security, secure and stable employment, support and care. It is in this area that we as employment and social policy leaders have work to do. 

The conference will begin with a ministerial roundtable on the impact of digital transformation and artificial intelligence on the labour market and working conditions. While thinking about the future and supporting the development of artificial intelligence, we as politicians and decision-makers have simultaneously agreed in many EU policy documents that, in this dynamic transformation process, humans must be at the centre and no one should be left behind. 

The question to be answered now is how the use of artificial intelligence is changing the labour market and employment policy, said Labour Minister Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bąk to the participants.

Roundtable on the future of work in the age of AI

The first highlight of the event consisted of a ministerial debate on the impact of artificial intelligence on the labour market. Using AI on an ongoing basis, Director General of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy Liwiusz Laska spoke about the opportunities and risks of using artificial intelligence.

The discussion focused on the challenges of automation, changes in employment models and the need to adapt social policy to dynamic technological changes.

The future of social economy and support for people with disabilities

On the second day of the conference, participants could take part in two thematic workshops. One of them, led by Deputy Labour Minister Katarzyna Nowakowska, focused on the future of the social economy in Europe. Experts from different EU countries shared their experiences of social entrepreneurship models and their role in building a sustainable labour market.

The second workshop, led by Łukasz Krasoń, Government Plenipotentiary for People with Disabilities, focused on the role of the media in raising public awareness of the potential of people with disabilities on the labour market. The discussion focused on barriers to employment and strategies to promote the professional integration of this social group.

Silver transformation in the age of the technological boom

The focal point of the second day of the conference was a ministerial panel on the challenges of the silver transition and how to harness the potential of older people in the labour market. The introduction to the topic was prepared by EUROFOUND and the panel included ministers and experts from EU countries. The debate highlighted the need to adapt employment policies to an ageing population, as well as the need for measures to prolong working life and promote active ageing.