• 20.07.2017 Press release

    Trade unions meet French President in Paris

    The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) will have a meeting with the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, on Friday 21 July at 11am at the Elysée Palace.   Leading the ETUC delegation will be ETUC General Secretary Luca Visentini, who will be accompanied by ETUC Confederal Secretary Thiébaut Weber and the Secretary Generals of the five French trade unions affiliated to the ETUC: Laurent Berger (CFDT), Philippe Martinez (CGT), Jean-Claude Mailly (FO), Philippe Louis (CFTC), Luc Bérille (UNSA).  
  • 07.07.2017 Press release

    EU wage austerity condemned by Council of Europe

    The reduction of the minimum wage for workers under 25 – as part of the austerity programme imposed on Greece by the EU and other creditors – has been condemned as “excessive”, and “discrimination on grounds of age”, and contrary to the Council of Europe European Social Charter (ESC). The judgement was delivered by the European Committee of Social Rights (ECSR), the main monitoring body to the European Social Charter, following a complaint by Greek trade union GSEE and supported by the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC).
  • 28.06.2017 Press release

    EU Finances: budget must increase

    Commenting on the European Commission Reflection Paper on the Future of EU finances, Liina Carr of the European Trade Union Confederation said “The EU budget needs to be redesigned to meet urgent and future challenges, and to increase.” “This reflection paper that does not reflect the Commission’s often stated wish for a more social Europe. On the contrary, the Commission seems determined to reduce the EU’s spending on social priorities and tackling regional inequality.”
  • 28.06.2017 Press release

    Brexit: UK offer for EU citizens "far from generous"

    Commenting on the UK Government’s proposal on the future rights of EU citizens living in the UK, ETUC General Secretary Luca Visentini said: “The rights of EU citizens in the UK, and UK citizens in the EU, should not be up for negotiation. There needs to be automatic and mutual granting of full rights. “Far from being very generous, the proposals are limited, and create significant new hurdles which EU citizens will need to overcome in order to access rights to residency and permanent access to entitlements in the UK.
  • 27.06.2017 Press release

    Work shouldn't hurt

    The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) is launching a call for the EU and national governments to do more to support workplace health and safety reps to tackle back, neck and shoulder pain.   Back, neck and shoulder pain (alongside pain in other joints such as hands, elbows and knees) - known collectively and technically as musculoskeletal disorders (or MSDs) – are the most common work-related disease in Europe. The most common causes are repetitive hand or arm movements, and sitting for long periods of time.