Millions of workers across Europe could receive fairer wages after EU governments supported a strong directive on minimum wages and collective bargaining.

Dear readers, Welcome to the latest edition of National UPdates. In this issue we highlight the way national trade unions are working in numerous areas to improve the lives and conditions of workers and their families. They range from defending the rights of LGBT+ people, protecting mental health and combatting the gender pay gap, to measures to improve pay, save jobs and expand flexibility for workers in the wake of the Covid pandemic. 

European governments have today voted to make workplace safety a fundamental right worldwide despite a dozen not having ratified the international convention on health and safety at work – almost 40 years after it was launched.

The European Trade Union Confederation condemns the "authoritarian" dismissal of judges in Tunisia and sends its full support for a week-long strike in defence of fundamental rights in the country.  In a new threat to freedoms and rights, the Tunisian president has issued a decree to dismiss 57 judges outside the framework regulating the work of the judiciary system. In response, the Tunisian judges bar have announced a public strike until June 16. The President has instructed the Minister of Justice to consider the strike days unpaid.

Europe is a step closer to delivering fairer pay after a provisional agreement on the Adequate Minimum Wages directive between negotiators from the European Parliament, Council and Commission.

Trade unions are calling on MEPs – voting on June 6 - to help working people get through the energy crisis by backing changes to the Emissions Trading System. 

Dear Readers, We have just published the May 2022 edition of the ETUC newsletter. To read the document, please click here. Enjoy!

Commenting on the oil sanctions agreed as part of the EU's sixth sanctions package on Russia, ETUC General Secretary Luca Visentini said:

Commenting on the economic guidance published today by the European Commission,  ETUC General Secretary Luca Visenti

Macroeconomic Dialogue at Political level – 23/05/2022   ETUC General Secretary Luca Visentini’s speaking notes General Outlook

Dear Members of the European Parliament, Thank you all for being with us. It's great to see you in person and to organize this exchange at an important moment in the Directive's agenda to improve the working conditions of platform workers.

The number of workers in Europe being injured by machines has risen over the last decade, an ETUC analysis has found amid negotiations over the need for more safety checks.   More than 80,000 workers were injured, some fatally, operating machinery in 2019 – up from 75,000 when Eurostat records began in 2014.

Dear participants, Let me start by saying how happy I am to be in this Stakeholder event today. The work within the transatlantic dialogue has been really dynamic since Pittsburgh. And I am convinced that a strong involvement of stakeholders will make the TTC a continuing success with tangible results. The European Trade Union Confederation has been working hand in hand with the AFL-CIO. And we have also put forward a joint statement (which is available on our websites) highlighting our priorities for the work ahead. Cathy Feingold will also speak later today.

Platform companies are trying to trick workers out of choosing an employment contract by offering poorer quality private insurance. The European Commission's platform work directive has laid the ground for workers currently being falsely self-employed to be reclassified as employees, delivering on their right to sick pay, paid holiday or parental leave.

The conclusions of the Conference on the Future of Europe will be delivered to the Presidents of the EU institutions on Monday.  The European Parliament, the Commission and the Council must ensure that these Conclusions are respected and become reality. This means changes to policies, to work programmes, to the budget, as well as legislative initiatives, but it means also changes to the Treaties.

Dear Readers, We have just published the April 2022 edition of the ETUC newsletter. To read the document, please click here. Enjoy!

Message from our General Secretary Luca Visentini for #MayDay "ETUC is fighting for a fairer Europe for workers – a more social Europe - for collective bargaining for all and adequate minimum wages, for equal pay, for decent work, for equality between men and women. We are fighting for sustainable and inclusive growth, and a socially just transition to a climate-friendly economy. We are fighting to stop any return to austerity. Solidarity on May 1st"

Almost 30,000 people may lose their lives at work in the EU over this decade without action to make workplaces safer, trade unions are warning on International Workers’ Memorial Day.

Commenting on the migration policy proposed today by the European Commission, ETUC Confederal Secretary Ludovic Voet said:

With big business increasingly using vexatious legal threats known as ‘SLAPPs’ to silence trade unionists, the EU must include workers’ rights in a new directive designed to stop the tactic.

ETUC condemns the arrest and detention yesterday in Belarus of at least fourteen leaders and representatives of the country’s independent trade union movement.

The European Parliament has today paved the way for action needed to end Europe’s 13% gender pay gap. MEPs voted in favour of a report on the gender pay transparency directive which includes the following improvements to the European Commission’s draft proposal:

Dear Readers, We have just published the March 2022 edition of the ETUC newsletter. To read the document, please click here. Enjoy!