European trade unions, together with a large coalition of NGOs and academics, are leading a campaign for the European Commission to permanently scrap austerity policies which have been paused during the pandemic. A ‘General Escape Clause’ relaxing the rules of the Stability and Growth Pact was introduced last year as part of the European Commission’s response to the Covid-19 crisis, which also included the creation of the SURE emergency job support scheme and the unprecedented recovery fund.

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.

The European Commission has today joined trade unions in warning member states against prematurely withdrawing financial support for workers and businesses. But the Commission must now put its money where its mouth is and refinancing the successful SURE job support for 2021 to ensure that all member states can maintain support measures as requested. 

Responding to the publication of the European Commission’s Beating Cancer Plan, ETUC Deputy General Secretary Per Hilmersson said: “While we welcome the fact that health and safety at work is included in the plan, the level of ambition is disappointing. More than 100,000 people die every year from occupational cancer – around 10% of all cancer deaths in Europe. Work-related cancer should be a specific ‘flagship initiative’ in the plan.

Eurostat EU unemployment figures published todaey show job losses increased again

Dear Readers, We have just published the January 2021 edition of the ETUC newsletter. To read the document, please click here. Enjoy!

Responding to the expert panel report on breaches of labour commitments under the EU-Korea trade agreement, ETUC Deputy General Se

The European Parliament has now recognised the need for a ‘right to disconnect’ and called for EU action to make that right a reality for working people in the EU. ETUC Deputy General Secretary Esther Lynch said “We now expect the European Commission to come forward with legislation so that working people can enforce their right to disconnect from work outside working hours.

Women doing jobs requiring the same levels of skills, education and physical effort as jobs done by men are still being paid less despite over 45 years of EU equal pay legislation. A comparison of wages in the manufacturing sector found that women producing white goods are paid significantly less than men making cars even though both jobs require the same competencies. In Germany, women in the white goods sector doing manufacturing jobs of equal value to men in the car industry are paid on average €865 per month less (gross).

Three rulings in three countries on the rights of delivery riders shows why EU action is needed to end the scandal of platforms not accepting their responsibilities as employers. A court in Spain found over 700 Deliveroo workers were falsely self-employed, an Italian court found the platform discriminated against riders who take sick leave and the Belgian government found Uber’s working conditions were incompatible with self-employment.

Reacting to the Financial Times report on UK Government plans to diverge from the Working Time Directive, ETUC Deputy General Secretary Esther Lynch said: “This is the first major test of the Brexit deal. “The reported plans would be in clear breach of level playing field rules and the EU must prepare to take swift action and retaliatory measures if necessary.

In view of the upcoming Plenary session of the European Parliament, the ETUC is part of a coalition of 36 civil society organisations (CSOs) which have launched a Joint Appeal to the European Institutions calling for the inclusion of  enforceable human rights clauses in the EU-China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI).

Commenting on the EU-UK deal Luca Visentini, ETUC General Secretary said “There is no form of Brexit that will improve the lives of working people.“ “Although President von der Leyen says fair competition and a level playing field are ensured, it would mean very little if long-drawn out arbitration was the main way to deal with disputes.