Employers are ignoring their responsibility for the safety of women workers during their commute to and from work, trade unions have warned on International Women’s Day. The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) and its affiliates today held a “Safe all the Way” protest outside Brussels Central Station to raise the alarm over this “blind spot” which leaves women at a higher risk of violence and harassment on their way to and from work.

MEPs have today voted for the explicit involvement of trade unions and workers’ representatives in defending human rights in corporate supply chains.

The Deputy General Secretary of the Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey (DISK), Fahrettin Engin Erdoğan, was among union leaders and members detained at a protest in Istanbul yesterday. The protest was organised by the DISK and the Confederation of Public Employees' Trade Unions (KESK) over reports of corruption hampering efforts to help victims of the country’s recent earthquake. Members of both unions were among more than 100 people detained.  

Dear Readers, We have just published the February 2023 edition of the ETUC newsletter. To read the document, please click here. Enjoy!

From working under missile fire to delivering humanitarian aid, Ukrainian workers today told of the heroic sacrifices they have made to keep their country running since Russia’s illegal invasion. Women and men working in all sectors of the Ukrainian economy shared moving personal testimonies about their experience of the war during an online event held by the European Trade Union Confederation and International Trade Union Confederation to mark the first anniversary of the invasion.

After a delay of six years, the European Council has today finally cleared the way for EU ratification of the Istanbul Convention for action on violence against women. The Council of Europe’s Istanbul Convention was launched in 2011 and is the world’s first joint binding effort to fight and prevent violence against women. The process of EU accession began in 2015 but has been blocked in the Council since 2017. Six EU member states have still not ratified the convention: Bulgaria, Czechia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia.

The General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) arrived safely in Brussels this afternoon after being ordered by the Tunisian Government to leave the country after taking part in a protest against its crackdown on trade unions and workers’ rights. Esther Lynch had travelled to Tunisia as part of a delegation of international union leaders to show solidarity with the Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT), whose members are being subjected to a campaign of harassment by the country’s government.

European trade unions are throwing their weight behind tomorrow’s protests in Tunisia over the authoritarian crackdown on workers’ rights and democracy by President Kais Saied. ETUC general secretary Esther Lynch has travelled to Sfax for a protest organised by the Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT) in response to a campaign of arrests, sackings and harassment of trade unionists in the country.

The EU has today laid the ground for action if the UK government breaches its commitment to workers’ rights under the Brexit deal.

Wages don’t reflect the rising cost-of-living and are unlikely to catch-up in the near future, the European Commission has warned today. The Commission’s winter 2023 economic forecast says:

The conclusions of the European Council call on the Commission to “immediately mobilise substantial EU funds and means to s

The price of a pizza is rising up to nine times faster than wages in Europe, showing the need to stop speculation on food prices and deliver pay rises which match the rising cost of living.

European leaders must ensure subsidies for green industry come with social strings attached. The EU’s response to the United States’ Inflation Reduction Act will be discussed by heads of government at the European Council today.  While the European Commission has published plans to keep industry in Europe by matching US subsidies for clean-tech, the EU is so far being left behind when it comes to social conditions to ensure public money is used for the common good. The Inflation Reduction Act includes:

Window cleaners will not be put at a higher risk of deadly falls after trade unions convinced manufacturers against lowering the safety standards for ladders.

A new European asbestos exposure limit will be too little and too late to protect workers from cancer, trade unions are warning today as the European Parliament publishes its report on the issue.

An unprecedented increase in interest rates will have a direct and harmful impact on working people, the European Trade Union Confederation is warning.

The European Commission yesterday presented a Communication on A Green Deal Industrial Plan for the Net-Zero Age but has written a blank cheque by failing to put social conditions on billions of Euros worth of subsidies for European businesses. The European Commission announced yesterday details of its Green Deal Industrial Plan, which would see around 250 billion in EU funds, and billions more in national state aid to support clean tech companies.  

The European Parliament today voted by a large majority in favour of the report by MEP Dennis Radtke (EPP) on the revision of the European Works Council Directive. MEPs urge the European Commission to act as soon as possible in order to address the many shortcomings in the current legislation that prevent European Works Councils (EWCs) from effectively exercising their rights.

The European Parliament has taken an important step towards ending bogus self-employment and precariousness in digital labour platforms. Delivery riders, cab drivers, content creators, programmers, click-workers, engineers and carers are among 28 million workers who would benefit from the provisions in the Employment Committee’s report which passed its plenary vote today. MEPs voted to end the system of false self-employment used by platform companies to cut costs at the detriment of workers’ pay and conditions.

Dear Readers, We have just published the January 2023 edition of the ETUC newsletter. To read the document, please click here. Enjoy!

On Monday MPs in the UK will debate and vote on new minimum service level rules that ministers claim are copied from other European countries.

Trade unions today challenged the European Commission to match the United States on their commitments to raising social standards as well as subsidy levels through the Net-Zero Industry Act. ETUC and industriAll Europe leaders met with Commission Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis to discuss the policies announced last week in response to the United States’ Inflation Reduction Act.

The European Commission has today announced plans which would mainstream social dialogue in decision making at European and national level - if they are effectively implemented. Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis today presented a communication on strengthening social dialogue in the EU and a Council recommendation on supporting social dialogue at national level.

European trade union leaders have today met with the United States Trade Representative to discuss how to increase the number of quality green jobs in both the United States and Europe. A joint delegation from the ETUC and industriAll Europe today met Ambassador Katherine Tai in Brussels to discuss the need to support European companies in making a just transition to a green economy on both sides of the Atlantic.

The European Parliament will vote on the draft EU law on platform work rights and whether to stop fake self-employment on platforms. The plenary vote is due to be held on Thursday 19 January.   The ETUC is urging MEPs to vote for the position agreed in the Employment Committee after long negotiations between the political groups. Trade unions are concerned that some members of the EPP, ECR and Renew will vote against it with the intention to further weaken the European Commission’s draft Directive.