European pillar of social rights

The European trade union movement supports the proposed European Pillar of Social Rights, but finds it falls well short of what workers and their families need, and should be strengthened.

Working people have been waiting since the crisis for concrete action to improve their standard of living, so trade unions will not let this opportunity slip away.

The ETUC

  • Strongly supports better work-life balance, including paid paternity and carers’ leave;
  • Wants a revised Written Statement Directive to cover all workers;
  • Believes self-employed and ‘non-standard’ workers must have access to social protection.

A ‘European Day of Action’ will take place on 16 November 2017 - the day before the Gothenburg EU Social Summit is due to adopt the Pillar.

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  • 15.12.2017 Press release

    ETUC on Summit & Social Pillar

    EU Council
    Following EU leaders agreeing to “put people first, to further develop the social dimension of the Union … to promote convergence and … implementing the European Pillar of Social Rights” at their Summit last night, the European Trade Union Confederation proposes:
  • 14.12.2017 Document

    Implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights - Letter sent to President Tusk

    Re: implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights Dear Donald, Dear Prime Ministers/Heads of States, I thank you, on behalf of the European Trade Union Confederation, for the commitment you are going to endorse in the European Council this week on the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights, proclaimed in Gothenburg on 17 November 2017.
  • 17.11.2017 Speech

    Luca Visentini's speech at Social Summit in Gothenburg

    Luca Visentini Gothenburg
    Gothenburg, 17 November 2017 Esteemed authorities, social partners, civil society representatives, On behalf of the European Trade Union Confederation, I would really like to thank Prime Minister Stefan Löfven and President Jean-Claude Juncker for having organised this summit, which is extremely valuable in bringing together all EU leaders to discuss putting the social dimension back on track in the European Union.
  • 17.11.2017 Press release

    Good social pillar - now implement it!

    “Signing the European Pillar of Social Rights must be the starting gun of a race to implement it,” said Luca Visentini, General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC). “The Social Pillar is useful only if it is the beginning of better things to come.”   
  • 16.11.2017 Speech

    Extraordinary Tripartite Social Summit in Gothenburg - Luca Visentini's speech

    Luca Visentini
    Esteemed Presidents and Prime Ministers,   I would really like to thank Stefan Löfven for his kind offer to organise this extraordinary tripartite meeting, the day before the Social Summit. This is a great opportunity for social partners to play a role in support of the European Pillar of Social Rights and for its implementation, following tomorrow’s proclamation.
  • 16.11.2017 Document

    Social Summit in Gothenburg - Statement of European Social Partners

    Europe is one of the best places to live, work and do business in the world because our social market economies combine free markets, private initiative, economic freedoms, free movement of people and welfare states designed to deliver social rights and public services. Nevertheless, Europe is still faced with many economic, social and political challenges: insufficient competitiveness and employment creation, inequalities, migration, security issues, and the need to redefine EU-UK relations. These challenges require ambitious European solutions.
  • 13.11.2017 Press release

    Media Advisory - Trade unions at Social Summit, Gothenburg

    Trade Unions at EU Social Summit 16-17 November   European trade unions will be at the EU Social Summit in Gothenburg, with a European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) event and trade union delegations taking part in an Extraordinary Tripartite Social Summit and the Social Summit. Below are details of ETUC events open to journalists, and the participation and availability of trade unionists in Summit events.   16 November 2017   12.00-14.00 ETUC public event - Building a better Europe for working people
  • 09.11.2017 Event

    Building a better Europe for working people

    In the eve of the EU Tripartite Social Summit in Gothenburg, the ETUC organises a panel discussion on: Building a better Europe for working people  - The Social Progress Protocol and the European Pillar of Social Rights  Thursday 16 November 2017 (12 pm – 2 pm) in Gothenburg, Sweden  This event will bring together Ministers, Trade Union leaders and NGOs to discuss the European Pillar Social Rights and the ETUC demand for a Social Progress Protocol. 
  • 07.11.2017 Press release

    ETUC calls for Written Statement Directive to be overhauled

    The ETUC is calling for the 1991 Written Statement Directive, which obliges employers to give employees written details on the employment relationship, to be thoroughly reformed and modernised. It is the first chance for the EU to demonstrate that the European Pillar of Social Rights can be translated into real rights in the workplace. At the moment, the Directive simply requires employers to provide information on the terms and conditions of employment. The ETUC is calling for the Directive to include fair terms and conditions of employment enforceable for the workers.
  • 03.11.2017 Press release

    Countdown to EU Summit

    The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) and the three Belgian unions, with the support of German union DGB and Austrian union ÖGB, kicked off 10 days of lobbying and social media activity to get the proposed 'European Pillar of Social Rights' adopted at the EU summit in Gothenburg on November 17 by projecting a stark message to the European Union last night. "Time is running out for the EU to deliver for working people" was the message projected onto the ‘Berlaymont’ HQ of the European Commission in Brussels.
  • 01.11.2017 Page

    Backing the EU Social Pillar in Bulgaria

    Bulgarian trade union confederation CITUB organised a Round Table debate in November on ‘The European Pillar of Social Rights – Challenges and Perspectives’, with representatives from the Podkrepa Confederation of Labour, the Bulgarian Parliament, employers’ organisations and scientific bodies.
  • 27.10.2017 Document

    ETUC Resolution on Fixing the Social Foundation

    ETUC Resolution on Fixing the Social Foundation – ETUC Statement on the need for a Social Protocol  Adopted at the Executive Committee Meeting of 25-26 October 2017   Introduction
  • 24.10.2017 Press release

    European Commission Work Programme 2018: ETUC Comments

    Commenting on the European Commission Work Programme 2018, Luca Visentini, General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation, said “We broadly welcome the work programme, especially the much-needed social fairness package. Whether this package will actually go far enough to improve social fairness for the majority of working people remains to be seen in the proposals when they are published.”
  • 23.10.2017 Press release

    Ministers agree Social Pillar

    Responding to the EU Employment and Social Policy ministers’ unanimous agreement on the text of the Proclamation of the European Pillar of Social Rights, which gives the authorisation to Member States to sign it at the Gothenburg Summit on November 17, Esther Lynch, Confederal Secretary at the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), said: “Labour Ministers have done the right thing today and put aside differences to agree the European Pillar of Social Rights.
  • 23.10.2017 Press release

    Big week for Social Europe

    It’s a big week in the EU for social rights, and conditions for working people. Tomorrow (Monday 23 October) the Employment Council is expected to decide on - The revision of the Posted Workers Directive - The European Pillar of Social Rights On Thursday (27 October) the European Parliament votes on the revision of the Posted Workers Directive.
  • 18.10.2017 Press release

    ETUC proposes east-west 'wage convergence alliance' and 'just transition' to EU leaders

    At today’s Tri-Partite Social Summit - with Presidents Juncker and Tusk, Prime Minister Ratas of Estonia, and the Labour Ministers of Estonia, Bulgaria and Austria - Luca Visentini, General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation called for fast proclamation of an ambitious European Pillar of Social Rights and proposed a series of initiatives including:    
  • 25.09.2017 Press release

    Written Statement Directive - ETUC Comments

    Commenting on European Commission’s announcement today on the Written Statement Directive, ETUC General Secretary Luca Visentini said “The ETUC welcomes the European Commission taking forward its proposal for a revision of the Written Statement Directive. The European Commission’s proposals are a decent basis for discussion. The ETUC has engaged constructively from the outset in this debate, and will be warning the Commission to keep clear of time-wasting by anyone who wants to kill this proposal.
  • 13.09.2017 Press release

    ETUC Comments on President Juncker' State of the Union speech

    Commenting on President Juncker’s State of the Union speech today, Luca Visentini, General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation said “The speech painted a rosy picture of economic recovery and was too light on proposals for social justice. “His references to climate action and digitalisation for example expressed no concern about potential job losses, or the need to manage the social and employment impacts. That’s alarming and dangerous.
  • 28.08.2017 Event

    State of the European Union - an ETUC view

    The ETUC together with the Friederich Ebert Foundation organises the open-debate event "State of the European Union - an ETUC view''. It takes place one day before the official annual ‘State of the Union’ speech by President Juncker at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, and is intended to promote an alternative view: a wider assessment of the ‘State of the Union’ from the perspective of working people and communities across Europe.
  • 20.07.2017 Document

    ETUC Roadmap for the Future of Europe

    The ETUC Roadmap for the Future of Europe Adopted at the Executive Committee of 13 and 14 June 2017   Background On 1 March 2017, the President of the European Commission launched a reflection on the Future of Europe, involving the EU 27 Member States after Brexit, by publishing a White Paper to be followed by a series of Reflection Papers.
  • 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).  

Contacts

Ms Esther LYNCH

Deputy General Secretary

Ms Liina CARR

Confederal Secretary

Mr Stefan CLAUWAERT

Senior Legal and Human Rights Advisor

Ms Marina MONACO

Advisor

Mr Giovanni CASALE

Advisor

Ms Bezaye GIRMA

Administrative Assistant To Liina Carr

Ms Bezaye GIRMA

Administrative Assistant To Liina Carr