All workers deserve to work in safe temperatures. In the week that many areas of Europe endure another heatwave, we call on the next European Commission to take this issue seriously and introduce a legislative instrument that recognises this increased risk to workers and provides a framework for protecting workers. Weather conditions do not respect national borders and so European action is required. Yet, unlike in other parts of the world, Europe has no binding legislation on safe maximum working temperatures.

ETUC Statement on EU-Swiss partnership agreement "Swiss flanking measures for equal treatment of workers should not be sacrificed on the altar of market dogma!”

STATEMENT APPROVED AT THE ETUC 14th Statutory Congress Vienna 21-24 May 2019   Brexit statement Congress notes that almost three years after the UK referendum on EU membership, negotiations between the EU and the UK on the terms of exit have concluded but that the UK government has repeatedly failed to secure approval for the Withdrawal Agreement in the British parliament.

On 3 April 2019, the European Commission launched its Communication on “Further strengthening the Rule of Law within the Union. State of Play and possible next steps” (COM(2019) 163 final). It thereby invited the European Parliament, the European Council, the Council and the public at large to reflect on how strengthening the enforcement of the rule of law can make an essential contribution to the future of the European Union.

ETUC statement “Trade unions call for MEPs to promote solidarity and the rights of all workers” Endorsed at the Executive Committee of 24 April 2019 The trade union movement stands for the rights of all workers, no matter what country they are from or their immigration status.

Dear editor,  While fully respecting the editorial freedom of Magyar Nemzet, we are shocked at the publication of the article as ‘the left has targeted workers by trade unions too’ (6 April 2019) as a ‘news’ article.

The social partners of the Union for the Mediterranean JOINT STATEMENT Fourth Ministerial Conference of the Union for the Mediterranean on employment and labour held on 2 and 3 April in Portugal Cascais, 2 April 2019 The social partners of the Union for the Mediterranean (hereinafter “the social partners”) welcome the holding of the 4th Ministerial Conference on Employment and Labour of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) which is being held on 3 April 2019 in Cascais, Portugal.

Joint appeal "Elect No Hate - For an EU election campaign free from intolerance and discrimination" by 22 organisations for EU elections campaigning free from intolerance, discrimination, hate speech and divisive rhetoric   Video by Thiébaut Weber, ETUC Confederal Secretary:

11 March 2019 - Civil society is calling for the immediate and complete removal of the “innovation principle” from Horizon Europe, the next EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, because it threatens the Precautionary Principle and is nothing more than an attempt to keep regulation of dangerous products at bay.

The ETUC Executive Committee supports sectorial collective bargaining and autonomy of sectorial social partners in Latvia! Latvia is one of the countries where coverage of collective bargaining of less than 35% and regarding which the ETUC in spring 2018 has issued an unprecedented ‘emergency alert’ highlighting the threat to achieve decent wages and working conditions for Latvian workers.

Letter to Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy / Vice-President of the Commission Marianne Thyssen, Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility Johannes Hahn, European Neighbourhood Policy & Enlargement Negotiations Dear Vice-President, Dear Commissioners, The next EU-Egypt Association Council meeting, scheduled for 20 December, will primarily focus on implementing the 2017-2020 Partnership Priorities adopted on 16 June 2017.

As the EU Japan FTA comes before the European Parliament the ETUC calls on MEPs to raise the threats it poses to workers’ rights, public services and social welfare.  We are concerned that the deal contains no enforceable provisions on workers’ rights. The sustainable development chapter of the agreement contains no independent enforcement court or sanctions when violations of labour rights occur which is essential to ensure commitments to labour standards are upheld as the ETUC has outlined in our progressive trade agenda.

Our democracies are under attack. The rise of hate, divisive, and socially and environmentally destructive political forces– including in many EU countries – are putting our democracies at risk.

A new free online course which aims to explain the complex world of standards in clear and simple terms has been launched. It is designed to be used by everyone, regardless of their level of knowledge or their background.

The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) is aware of pressure from the European Commission on Switzerland to use the current negotiations on a new framework agreement with the EU as an attempt to dismantle “accompanying measures”, introduced to protect posted workers and Swiss workers from social dumping and undercutting of wages.

ETUC – CLC joint statement on the Sustainable Development Chapter in CETA Trade unions in the EU and Canada are united in our call for progressive trade deals that promote decent jobs, protect and enhance labour rights, protect public services and lead to fair distribution of wealth. We worked together throughout the negotiations on CETA to call for the deal to respect these objectives.

Considering that the 20th EU-Ukraine Summit is held in Brussels on the 9th of July 2018, and that the meeting of the Council of the EU-Ukraine Association is planned in December, the European and Ukrainian trade unions believe that urgent measures should be taken, with the support of the European Commission, to improve the social and economic situation in the country, and to increase the effectiveness of social dialogue and adherence to the fundamental ILO Conventions.

The negotiations of the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) were finalised in December last year. The signature of the EPA is foreseen on 11 July 2018. Separate negotiations on investment protection continue in parallel. The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) and the Japanese Trade Union Confederation (JTUC-RENGO) recognize the importance of creating frameworks for economic cooperation between EU and Japan, which are major mutual trading partners, in guiding both economies onto a stable and sustainable growth trajectory, and establishing sustainable employment.

25 June 2018 Consultation on ACP-EU Partnership Agreement European Commission Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development   Post-Cotonou Task Force   Trade Union Movement Contribution