The European trade union movement supports the European Pillar of Social Rights, although it pressed for measures to be strengthened. The priority now is implementation of the 20 principles at both EU and national level.

Working people have been waiting for more than a decade for concrete action to improve their standard of living, and it is vital that recovery from the Covid pandemic should also be an opportunity to make changes that benefit society at large.

Under the auspices of the pillar, the ETUC has called for a wide range of initiatives: on trade union and workers’ rights, education and training, youth employment, gender equality, health and safety, work-life balance, stronger public services, social protection and pensions, undeclared and insecure work, child protection, minimum income and social dumping.

Above all, we regard social dialogue, workplace democracy and the right to collective bargaining as key to implementation of the EPSR and achieving upward convergence of living and working conditions across Europe. Guaranteeing trade unions rights and capacity building for collective bargaining should be the foundation of social Europe.