The ETUC strongly condemns the appalling racist crime committed in Hanau, Germany. We express our sincere condolences to the families and we reiterate support to our colleagues. More than ever, across Europe the fight against far right and racist crimes and violence must be united and determined.
At least 3.3 million fewer workers are benefiting from a collective bargaining agreement across the European Union today compared to the beginning of the century, the latest figures show.
Collective bargaining coverage is down in 22 of the EU’s 27 member states since 2000 as a result of deliberate policies implemented by member states and endorsed by the European Commission, often because of a mistaken idea that high levels of collective bargaining are bad for the economy.
Commenting on the launch of the European Commission’s strategies for digital and AI, ETUC confederal secretary Isabelle Schömann said:
"The introduction of AI in the workplace must be done in an ethical and legal way that protects workers from disproportionate and illegal surveillance or discriminatory treatment because of biased algorithms. That’s why trade unions welcome commitments in the strategy to ensure there are the safeguards on privacy and safety needed to make AI technologies fit for the workplace.
The European Commission announced today a partial withdrawal of trade concessions to Cambodia under its preferential trade arrangement, Everything But Arms (EBA). The decision came after a long period of ‘enhanced dialogue’ initiated by the EU in order to pressure the Cambodian government to stop persecuting opposition leaders and to roll back other authoritarian measures.
Workers in two thirds of EU member states are receiving a smaller share of their country’s GDP than they were at the beginning of the decade, official figures show.
European Commission statistics show wage share – a key indicator of inequality - has fallen in 18 member states between 2010 and 2019.
Ireland saw the biggest fall in the percentage of GDP paid out in wages at 19%*, ahead of Croatia (11), Cyprus (6), Portugal (5) and Malta (5).
Responding to the European Commission’s review of economic governance, ETUC General Secretary Luca Visentini said:
“Trade unions welcome this review of economic governance as an opportunity to draw a line under a decade of harmful austerity and begin a positive programme of investment and upward convergence of working and living conditions that will make Europe fairer for working people by delivering sustainable growth, social cohesion and a socially just transition to a green economy.
The ETUC welcomes the European Commission’s commitment to continuing and reinforcing the enlargement process but regrets the lack of clear focus on social objectives in the enlargement process
The pay packets* of workers in 6 EU countries is lower on average than ten years ago. In a further 3 EU countries wages have been almost frozen over the last decade.
New figures by the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI)** show that average pay packets in Italy, Spain, Greece, Portugal, Croatia and Cyprus were lower in 2019 than in 2010.
Average pay packets, adjusted for inflation (and including social security contributions and pay benefits), went down 2010-19 by:
15% in Greece
Commenting on the publication of the European Commission’s work programme for 2020, ETUC General Secretary Luca Visentini said:
“Ambitious social policies are needed to rebuild trust with working people after the financial crisis. The work programme contains several positive initiatives, including a commitment to define an action plan for the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights, and to deliver an Unemployment Reinsurance Scheme, a European Gender Equality Strategy and binding pay transparency measures.
People earning the statutory minimum wage are at risk of poverty in most EU member states, the latest official data shows.
Twenty-two EU member states have a statutory national minimum wage and the majority fail to meet even the minimal at risk-of-poverty wage threshold of 60% of the median wage. In 10 member states, the statutory minimum is 50% or less of the national median wage.
Commenting on the Resolution adopted by the European Parliament on the upcoming Conference on the Future of Europe, ETUC General Secretary Luca Visentini said: “We welcome the resolution and the excellent work done by the European Parliament in preparation of the Conference on the Future of Europe.
“The Conference should pave the way for a fairer European Union which can provide all its citizens and workers with good quality and well-paid jobs, quality education and training and proper social protection.
