A new group has been set up to encourage Governments and EU institutions to fully implement the European Pillar of Social Rights. The group ‘Stand Up for the Social Pillar’ brings together social economy enterprises and organisations including cooperatives active in industry and services, trade unions, pro-European organisations and social NGOs, and has as its mission to

ETUC General Secretary Luca Visentini has written to all Employment Ministers urging them not to dilute the Commission proposals and “adopt a meaningful general approach” on the 2 Directives up for discussion at the EPSCO Council on Thursday. The letter states that the Directives on Transparent and Predictable Working Conditions and Work Life Balance are both “crucial to working people across Europe and their trade unions.”

The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) condemns the violation of human rights and international law by the Italian Government, welcomes the humanity of the Spanish Government and criticises the lack of action by the European Union and its member states over the sorry saga of the rescue ship Acquarius and its 629 people on board.

The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) will oppose a potential double cut in European Social Fund (ESF) spending in the EU budget  2021-2027. The European Commission’s ESF proposals published today, its Cohesion Policy proposals published yesterday and the overall EU budget 2021-2027 proposals, include

Commenting on the outcome today of the European Parliament vote on posted workers, Liina Carr, Confederal Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), saluting a victory for Europe’s posted workers, said: “Justice at last for posted workers. “With the YES vote, the ETUC is very pleased that posted workers now have the prospect of equal pay. “Even if the final deal includes important compromises such as the exclusion of transport workers, it guarantees at least the same pay for the same work in the same place.

The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) has written to MEPs urging them to vote in favour of the revision of Posting of Workers Directive. The Plenary vote is due to take place on Tuesday 29 May on the trilogue deal between the Commission, Council and Parliament in March, and is a yes/no vote without the possibility of amendments. The text has already been approved by Council.     

"The ETUC condemns the shooting of Palestinian protestors, including children, in repeated displays of excessive and disproportionate force by the Israeli army” said ETUC General Secretary Luca Visentini. “The killing must stop.” “We urge Israel and the Palestine to restart negotiations in good faith for peace based on a two-state solution. We encourage the European Union and the United Nations to do all it can to bring an end to the violence and to encourage negotiations.”

Something has gone wrong in the European Union. Four examples bear witness to this dysfunction. How can it be justified that hundreds of thousands of letter-box companies have been allowed to develop, when the aim of these ghost companies is to evade taxes, labour laws and regulations? How can it be explained that European Court of Justice decisions authorized the restriction of employees’ fundamental rights in order to support business schemes whose very objective was to circumvent the protection of employees?

A guide to a ‘just transition’ to a low carbon economy is published by the European Trade Union Confederation on May 15. The 48 page document ‘Involving trade unions in climate action to build a just transition’ contains

Commenting on the European Commission’s Spring 2018 Economic Forecast heralding “strong growth” at “a 10-year high” and “rosy outlook”, Katja Lehto-Komulainen Deputy General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) said “European Commissioners sound upbeat about Europe’s growth but life in the labour market remains very tough for far too many people. There are still 17 million unemployed in the EU and much of the growth in employment is in part-time or temporary jobs. In work poverty is on the rise.

Commenting on the European Commission’s proposals for the Multiannual Financial Framework, European Trade Union Confederation Confederal Secretary Thiébaut Weber said: “We cannot accept the proposal to cut cohesion funding ­– and therefore probably the European Social Fund – by 7%.  This sends out an appalling signal to European citizens when the ink on the proclamation of the European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR) is not yet dry.

Europe needs a Pay Rise Join a Union & Support Collective Bargaining Watch the video

Dear Readers, We have just published the April 2018 edition of the ETUC Newsletter. To read the document, please click here. Enjoy!

The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) has issued an unprecedented ‘emergency alert’ that highlights countries and situations where the opportunity for working people in Europe to achieve decent wages and working conditions is under threat. “At the heart of Europe is a social contract that offers working people the opportunity to get decent wages and working conditions” said Luca Visentini, General Secretary of the ETUC. “But the foundation on which that social contract is built needs urgent repair and renovation.”

Today’s proposal by the European Commission to promote fairness and transparency for users of online marketplaces is a necessary step, but totally fails to protect workers who rely on online platforms for their livelihoods. According to the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), the measure falls short by limiting regulation of unfair practices to shopping platforms offering goods and services, such as Amazon or eBay, and search engines.

Reacting to the European Commission’s proposals for new company law rules*, published today, European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) Deputy General Secretary Peter Scherrer said: “The proposals on cross-border conversions show a welcome change of direction in EU company law, which until now has facilitated deregulation and regime shopping. The Commission aims to ensure that a company has genuine economic activity in the Member State where it wants to relocate its registered office. The proposed Directive therefore offers a basis for discussion.

Speech by Katja Lehto-Komulainen, ETUC Deputy General Secretary   Dear all, Let me address three points on behalf of the European Trade Union Confederation. The ETUC is proud to be part of the EMIN network – and bus tour - promoting adequate minimum income schemes throughout Europe. - The right to an adequate minimum income is a key demand today: we need to ensure an acceptable and dignified standard of living for all.

The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) urges the European Commission to include in its forthcoming ‘European Company Law package’ binding measures to protect workers and end ‘regime shopping’ which allows companies in Europe to move their headquarters to another Member State where they pay less taxes and lower wages regardless of where their genuine economic activity take place.

Belgian and international trade unions have demanded the immediate release from prison of former Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. In a letter delivered to the Brazilian ambassador in Brussels, the CSC, the FGTB as well as the ITUC and the European Trade Union Confederation stated that Lula’s arbitrary imprisonment is a threat to democracy. Trade unions in Asunción, Buenos Aires, Geneva, Jakarta, Lima, London and Rabat are also gathering at Brazilian embassies today, following protests in recent days in Madrid, Montevideo, Paris, Rome and Washington, D.C.

Commenting on the European Commission’s whistle-blower protection proposals, Esther Lynch, Confederal Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) said:

New figures calculated by the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) and European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) show that wage increases in the European Union over the last 16 years would have been FOUR TIMES higher if they had fully reflected productivity increases. It is standard economic theory that wage increases should follow productivity increases. But in Europe productivity has increased far more than wages. From 2000 to 2016 productivity increased three times more than wages in Germany and Croatia, and two times more than wages in Poland and Belgium.