The main areas of work are: Industrial Policy, Collective Bargaining Policy, Company Policy and the Social Dialogue.

Industrial Policy focuses on keeping and developing a strong manufacturing base in Europe and future employment interests of workers in the European metal industry. The EMF is helping to structure the changes in the metal industry brought about by globalisation and seeks to strike a balance between employment interests and competitiveness in its representation of its members' interests.

Collective Bargaining Policy includes the coordination of wage policy, the harmonisation of working time policy and the joint approach to training policy through collective agreement. The EMF also plays an active role in intersectoral negotiations at a European level.

Company Policy focuses on all elements of workers' interests in a multinational company ranging from economic and industrial development, restructuring and re-organisation and working conditions. It covers information and consultation rights at European level (European Works Councils, EWC) as well as participation rights (Company Statue). At the same time the EMF supports the development of a negotiation role in multinational companies. The EMF company policy involves the European Works Councils, the workers' representatives on company boards, the national trade unions and the EMF EWC coordinators.

Social Dialogue focuses on building lasting and meaningful dialogue structures with European-level employers’ and industry associations in the metal sector. The social dialogue is being developed at the metal sectoral level with the employers’ organisation CEEMET as well as at the level of sub-sectors such as the shipbuilding and steel industries. Through the Social Dialogue the EMF seeks to develop common solutions to meet the challenges of global competition and industrial change affecting the metalworking sector across Europe. The EMF strives to improve the economic and social situation of workers by reconciling the legitimate social interests of workers and the need for competitive industries.