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.

21.03.2018 Speech

Tripartite Social Summit – 21 March 2018

To be checked against delivery Speech by Katja Lehto-Komulainen, ETUC Deputy General Secretary, at the Tripartite Social Summit Brussels, 21 March 2018 Dear Minister, Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, The economy is recovering, indeed, but slowly, and major problems remain, especially in the ability of labour markets to provide enough high-quality employment to go around. The total hours worked in the EU are still below pre-crisis levels, and the average hours worked per employee are well below.
21.03.2018 Speech

Tripartite Social Summit – 21 March 2018

To be checked against delivery Speech by Luca Visentini, ETUC General Secretary, at theTripartite Social Summit Brussels, 21 March 2018 Prime Minister, Ministers, Presidents, Vice President, Commissioners, social partners, We acknowledge that the economic situation and employment rates in Europe are improving.
13.03.2018 Press release

European Commission social fairness package

The European Trade Union Confederation today welcomed the European Commission’s Social Fairness package. ETUC General Secretary Luca Visentini said: “These initiatives should bring some real improvements for working people and ensure that the principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights are implemented through binding measures that make a positive difference to people’s lives. It’s a step forward which the ETUC welcomes as far as it goes.
10.01.2018 Page

EU acts on demand for universal access to water

The European Commission is proposing new legislation to ensure all Europeans have access to safe drinking water, in response to a campaign led by trade unions and citizens’ groups.
21.12.2017 Press release

Directive on Transparent and Predictable Working Conditions: a first major step forward but weaker than expected

Responding today to the European Commission’s proposal for a Directive on Transparent and Predictable Working Conditions, Esther Lynch, ETUC Confederal Secretary, welcomed some important improvements, although this reform is not the game-changer unions needed or expected.
18.12.2017 Press release

10 years after Laval – we need a Social Progress Protocol and an end to social dumping

Ten years after the disastrous anti-worker Laval ruling by the European Court of Justice – on 18 December 2007 – the European Trade Union Confederation says the European Pillar of Social Rights obliges the EU to repair the damage caused.
15.12.2017 Press release

ETUC on Summit & Social Pillar

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

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

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:
03.10.2017 Speech

The ETUC 'State of the European Union' speech

Speech by Luca Visentini, ETUC General Secretary Check against delivery
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.