Youth committee

The ETUC Youth Committee represents young workers within the ETUC and influences the work of the ETUC, ensuring that the different policies take account of young people.

The Youth Committee is a leading force behind the strategies to attract young people to the trade unions and to strengthen the position of young people within the existing trade union structure.

The Committee, led by the elected Bureau , develops programs to empower young workers and trade union representatives by organizing training, seminars conferences, study sessions and campaigns for young workers around Europe.

The Committee is a member of the European Youth Forum, the leading umbrella organization for Youth in Europe.

Youth Committee Member Organisations (Map)

Youth Structures Map

Are you looking to reach or join a youth structure across Europe ? Find it on our interactive map.

Find a Youth Structure

12.10.2023 Publication

ETUC Constitution 2023

As amended at 15th ETUC Statutory congress in Berlin
27.06.2023 Circular

Reminder : Social Partners consultation on possible action further improving the quality of traineeships

Brussels, 24 July 2023 To Members of the Youth Committee To Members of the Employment, Mobility and Labour Committee Dear Colleagues, I hope this email finds you well. We would like to kindly remind you about an informal online session to discuss and answer any questions regarding a draft reply to the 1st phase of Social Partner Consultation on a possible action further improving the quality of traineeships.
23.02.2023 Circular

Update : Registration closing this Friday - Train of Remembrance - 25-27th March, Linz Austria

Brussels, 1st March To: Members of the Youth Committee For information: to the Working Group of the dedicated Anti-Far Right contact persons Dear members, We are incredibly pleased by your interest in joining our delegation to the event - Train of Remembrance - in Austria later this month. Please note, that due to the high number of applications, the registration will close this Friday and selected participants will be informed at the beginning of the next week.
09.02.2023 Circular

Invitation : Corrigendum registration link / Learning seminar – Time for Quality Jobs, Gdansk, Poland, 15-16 March 2023

Brussels, 13 February 2023 To: Members of the Youth Committee Dear Members of the Youth Committee, In the framework of the European Project “Time for quality jobs”, we invite you to a seminar on 15-16 March 2023 in Gdansk, Poland with a regional focus on the following countries in the Central and Eastern European region: Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Czechia, Slovakia.
28.06.2022 Document

ETUC Youth Committee Report (2019-2022)
24.03.2022 Document

ETUC Resolution European Year of Youth – Empowering young workers through actions

European Year of Youth – Empowering young workers through actions ETUC Resolution adopted at the Executive Committee meeting of 16-17 March 2022
03.03.2022 Circular

For Information : ETUC Youth and PERC Youth join millions of united voices that call for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine.

ETUC Youth and PERC Youth* join millions of united voices that call for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine. We stand in solidarity with fellow civilians who face growing despicable aggression and threat that goes against international law and all European democratic achievements of past decades.
10.02.2022 Circular

* : Campaign to ban unpaid internships (finally!)

Time is now!
20.12.2021 Circular

* : Trade Union Works for You - also in 2022!

Dear Members of the Youth Committee, Dear Friends,
07.12.2021 Document

Appeal for a strong Resolution on Empowering European Youth: Don’t go back on earlier ambition

ETUC Letter sent to the Members of the EMPL Committee in the European Parliament Dear Members of the Employment and Social Affairs Committee, With this letter, we would like to address you ahead of the EMPL Committee vote on the Resolution on Empowering European Youth : post-pandemic employment and social recovery.
01.05.2021 Document

Labor Day – Day with History Meaning and Purpose

Another unusual labour day. This year we might be better equipped to bring online celebrations to workers but too many current challenges haven’t been solved, yet.
20.04.2021 Event

Register | Social Summit - Youth Torch | 4th May 2021

Brussels, 3 May 2021 To the members of the ETUC Youth Committee FOR INFORMATION: To all ETUC member organisations Dear colleagues, We would like to kindly remind you to register for the online gathering ahead of Social Summit in Porto.
08.03.2021 Page

Jobs saved in French aviation industry

Trade unions in France have taken action to preserve hundreds of jobs in the struggling aviation industry since 2020. CFE-CGC, CFTC and FO, the three trade unions represented at the Airbus aerospace group’s helicopter production subsidiary, have concluded several agreements aimed at safeguarding the future of its two French sites.
08.03.2021 Publication

Engaging young people in trade Unions

Following different projects with partners such us ETUI and ITC-ILO, and building on contributions from member organisations and individuals across Europe, ETUC Youth Committee in cooperation with FES presents a guide with recommendations on how to engage young people in the work of trade unions. The guide explores existing good practices and new ways how to stop the trade union membership decline which is an existing threat in 27 out of 31 analysed countries.
15.02.2021 Press release

Survey highlights plight of young people in pandemic

11 months after the start of the pandemic, young trade union leaders say that young unemployed, those neither in employment or education or training, and workers in platform companies are not being helped enough by job and wage protection schemes and related emergency measures. These findings will be presented today to Commissioner Nicolas Schmit and the Portuguese President of EU Council of Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Ministers, Ana Mendes Godinho at an online conference ‘(How) Will Europe prevent a Lost Generation?’ attended by over 200 young people.
12.02.2021 Document

ETUC Youth - A Youth Recovery: Time for Quality Jobs! (How) Will Europe prevent a Lost Generation

European youth are severely affected by the pandemic. One in six young people lost their job due to the economic consequences of COVID-19. In September 2020, the EU youth unemployment rate was 17.1%. Youth unemployment has soared in several countries, including Spain (40,5%), Italy (29,7%), Bulgaria (18,3%) and France (19,6%).
30.10.2020 Document

ETUC statement on Youth

The COVID-19 pandemic and its social and economic repercussions have hit young people in Europe particularly hard. The latest Eurostat figures show skyrocketing youth unemployment figures across the EU: In August 2020, 43,9 % young people aged between 15-24 years in Spain were unemployed, 39,3 % in Italy and 32,1 % in Greece. The EU average lies at 17,6%.
23.03.2020 Document

Young people shouldn’t learn the hard way!

Call to EU institutions and national governments to protect workers now and in the future. The ETUC Youth Committee is deeply concerned about the spread of coronavirus throughout Europe, particularly in countries such as Italy. Such concerns relate to the repercussions this is having on the lives of thousands of people, as well as on economic activities, employment and the social dimension and resilience of the entire European Union.
17.02.2020 Page

Fashion industry glamour veils exploitation of young workers

British trade union Bectu, which organises in the media and creative industries, is investigating the working conditions of fashion assistants. The union wants to uncover the scale of abuse among junior staff, as portrayed in the film ‘The Devil Wears Prada’.
17.02.2020 Page

Unity is strength for young trade unionists

Trade union collective bargaining is helping young workers in Belgium and elsewhere to obtain better pay and working conditions. In 2016 the Belgian government introduced unfair, sub-minimum wage levels for young workers, supposedly to create 1,000 new jobs in the wake of the economic crisis. But while the jobs never materialised, this austerity measure had a disastrous impact on the working and living conditions of some 45,000 young people, who suffered cuts in social protection and a drop in wages of up to 18%.
21.01.2020 Publication

ETUC Constitution as amended at the 2023 Congress

Adopted by the 15th ETUC Congress, Berlin 23-26/05/2023
16.12.2019 Press release

New ETUC Youth Committee Bureu Elected

Yolanda Gil, from CCOO Spain, has been elected as the President of the Youth Committee of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC). Along with the President, the Youth Committee has also appointed its "bureau", the steering body which implements the political decisions.
12.08.2019 Circular

For Information : ETUC - Youth statement on the International Youth Day

To: Members of the ETUC - Youth Committee Brussels, 12th August 2019
10.05.2019 Circular

ETUC - Youth overarching political document "The Future of Youth"

Brussels, May 10th 2019 To: Members of the ETUC - Youth Committee Dear colleagues, Following my previous circular from March 28th, I am happy to share with you the endorsed version of the document "The Future of Youth".
28.03.2019 Circular

ETUC Youth Committee Resolution on right-wing Populism

As adopted at the meeting of the ETUC - Youth Committee of December 2017.