The first meeting of all project partners of the Social Dialogue in Defence of Vulnerable Groups in Post-COVID-19 Labour Markets (DEFEN-CE) was held in Helsinki on December 2nd, 2021.

The meeting was organized, on-site and online in parallel, focusing on establishing a common understanding of the aims, tasks, administration, and deliverables of the project and determining platforms for successful project collaboration.

The kick-off meeting was led by Professor Minna van Gerven, Overall Project Coordinator, from the University of Helsinki and Doctor Marta Kahancová, Scientific Coordinator, from the Central European Labour Studies Institute (CELSI).

Participants from project partner organizations included the University of Helsinki and the Tampere University, Finland; the University of Stockholm, Sweden; the Central European Labour Studies Institute (CELSI); the Lithuanian Centre for Social Sciences, Lithuania; the University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany; the University of Belgrade, Serbia; and the FONDAZIONE ADAPT, Italy

They provided inputs to the overall management and expectations of the DEFEN-CE and gave an overview of vulnerable groups affected by COVID-19 measures and the role of social partners in their project countries.

Decisions concerning project planning and next steps were made.

Based on the discussion on the national observations of the groups most affected by COVID-19 and measures taken, the meeting was a promising start to an exciting and valuable project.