Brussels, 09/01/2014 New figures show that Europe still faces a massive employment crisis, with an estimated 26,533 million citizens out of work, an increase from the previous year. Unemployment now stands at 12.1% in the euro area. Despite these statistics, some European leaders continue to push for business as usual policies.

Project "Providing welfare through Social Dialogue: A renewed role for Social Partners?" The aim of this 12 month project is to analyse this new reality (of supplementary welfare provision based on collective bargaining and/or unilateral action by the employer called Voluntary Occupational Welfare – VOW or so-called “contract welfare”) by mapping and assessing the increased role of “contract welfare” in eight EU Member States: Austria , Belgium, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, Sweden and the UK.

Brussels, 20/12/2013 The June 2012 growth pact will not relaunch growth and employment. After 18 months in operation, unemployment remains at over 12%, and youth unemployment is rocketing as high as 60% in some member states. The EIB's lending capacity should be multiplied by 4 and invested in European projects for sustainable development, particularly in countries in difficulty. There must be democratic control over the attribution and use of these funds.

Brussels, 19/12/2013 According to a recent report by the European Commission, the pay gap between women and men in the European Union continues to remain. ETUC express its disappointment at the lack of ambition from the commission, and its unwillingness to undertake concrete measures to fight the gender pay gap. The findings of the report are alarming. Despite a slight weak downward trend, in recent years, the gender pay gap exists at various levels in all 28 Member States. For example, on average, women also work 59 days unpaid per year.

Brussels, 18/12/2013

Brussels, 18/12/2013 As EU leaders prepare to gather in Brussels for their end of year summit, they continue to undermine the European project by prolonging the financial and social crisis and alienating millions of people across the union. Speaking ahead of the summit on 18 December, ETUC Secretary General, Bernadette Ségol, announced that a European trade union demonstration will take place in Brussels on 4 April 2014, as the European Parliament prepares to elect new members.

Brussels, 17/12/2013 Migrant workers continue to face uncertainty in the labour market ahead of national workers; with evidence of wage discrimination, social dumping, and lower opportunities in the access to market. Some employers are also taking advantage of the economic crisis with cases of abuse and exploitation (especially in the agriculture and construction sectors).

Brussels, 13/12/2013 The European Commission has today (13 December) issued its proposals for best practices for reducing the social impact of restructuring, which offers guidelines for stakeholder on how best to minimise the effect of restructuring. However, the ETUC says that the time for inactivity is over. Reacting to today’s announcement, the ETUC says “we have had enough evaluations of best practices – it’s time for political action”.

Speech given by Bernadette Ségol, General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) Check against delivery President and friends, It gives me great pleasure to be with you today. It really does.

Brussels, 10/12/2013 Unfortunately the agreement reached in the council does not set this key principle with the necessary legal clarity. The list of control measures must be open. Contractors in any country must be responsible for enforcing conditions set by law or collective agreements (chain liability) on subcontractors. Problems are particularly acute in the construction sector, but not limited to it. The ETUC will continue to demand a compulsory joint and several liability covering all sectors.

Brussels, 06/12/2013

Brussels, 06/12/2013 Labour ministers will meet on 9 and 10 December to discuss the Enforcement Directive of the Posting of Workers Directive as part of the Employment, Social Affairs, Health and Consumer Affairs (EPSCO) Council. In a letter to the responsible ministers, ETUC Secretary General Bernadette Ségol asks EU governments to respect the rights of workers and end social dumping in Europe.

Brussels, 29/11/2013 The report was adopted on 28 November in Vienna and presented at a conference of lawyers from across Europe. The European Commission and the European Central Bank are, due to their involvement in the troika, breaching the primary law of the EU, since the Treaty of Lisbon also includes the Charter of Fundamental Rights.

Brussels, 25/11/2013 This “next generation” free trade agreement will include a controversial and unnecessary investor-to-state dispute settlement process (ISDS). In spite of the 18 October EU-Canada deal, negotiations on investment protection and ISDS continue.

Stockholm, 15/11/2013 Check against delivery President, Friends, Thank you for giving me the floor. I bring you the greetings of the European Trade Union Confederation. I would like to take this opportunity to talk to you about our main concerns, our main issues, our main priorities. You will not be surprised if I start by a few words about the crisis we have and are still going through.

Brussels, 21/11/2013 While ETUC understands that this approval was urgent, in order to start the next programming period on time, at the same time it is deeply concerned by the final decisions made on the European Social Fund (ESF), as well as the macroeconomic conditionalities in cohesion policy.

Brussels, 20/11/2013

Brussels, 19/11/2013 The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) and the Polish trade union confederation, Ogólnopolskie Porozumienie Zwi?zków Zawodowych (OPZZ), would like to take the opportunity of this UN conference taking place in Warsaw, to stress the importance of having an European energy and climate policy that puts the Just Transition into action.

Brussels, 18/11/2013 Against the background of months of growing public discontent at political mismanagement, the Bulgarian parliament has been discussing the budget law for 2014. The parliament’s budget and finance committee will consider this in second reading on 20 November. Constructive trade union proposals advanced in the National Council for Tripartite Co-operation, aimed at dealing with escalating poverty, unemployment, the degradation of public services, corruption and the fight against monopolies have fallen on deaf ears.

Brussels, 14/11/2013 About 120 young trade unionists and youth NGO representatives from all over Europe gathered in Paris for the Youth Summit for Quality Jobs on the occasion of the summit of European head of states and ministers of labour. The summit was complemented by many side events organised jointly by the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), the French trade unions (CFDT, CGT, FO and UNSA) and the European Youth Forum, with the support of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OCDE).

Brussels, 13/11/2013 Sadly, the prospect of a jobless recovery continues to loom large in Europe. The AGS proposes a continuation of the very economic strategies that have prolonged the crisis and contributed to the decline in employment and the social situation in many countries. A radical change is needed. Europe needs investment not austerity; member states must stop the strategy of an endless race to the bottom based on lower wages and working conditions.

Brussels, 13/11/2013 The site was developed in co-operation with the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) to help workers benefit from the provisions of the chemicals legislation. The new web section explains how REACH, CLP and the Biocidal Products regulations can enhance safety at work, reduce exposure to hazardous chemicals and help prevent illnesses, injuries and accidents caused by chemical substances. It provides examples, practical information, tips and useful links to workers exposed to chemicals.

Lisbon, 28/10/2013 [Check against delivery] Caras e Caros Colegas, Em nome da Confederação europeia de sindicatos (CES) , eu gostaria de dizer aqui uma palavrinha em portugês, para agradecer a UGT assim que o seu Secretario geral e amigo Carlos Silva, por me ter convidado a comerorar, convosco os 35 anos da UGT. I like to introduce the European Trade Union Confederation as the European Trade Union because this designation immediately shows what we are, what we do and for whom, and why we do it.

Brussels, 08/11/2013 The deal offers a set of rights and equal treatment measures for the benefit of seasonal migrant workers. Member states will be called to introduce faster and more transparent procedures to release permits. Migrants will have right to an accommodation that ensures an adequate standard of living at affordable costs.

Brussels, 07/11/2013 The plan, A New Path For Europe: ETUC plan for investment, Sustainable Growth and Quality Jobs, outlines how Europe can lift itself out of crisis by investing in sustainable growth and jobs through a bold recovery strategy based on investing an additional 2% of GDP per year over a 10-year period in a new industrial base and creating quality employment and educational opportunities. The new stimulus plan will create up to 11 million new jobs in Europe and aid sustainable economic and social recovery over the next decade.