EU member states should follow the UK Government in tackling age-based pay discrimination by eliminating lower rates of statutory minimum wages for young people.

The number of workers who can’t afford a week’s holiday has increased by more than two million, an analysis of EU data for the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) has found.An estimated 39.7 million working people (15%) could not afford a week’s holiday away from home, either in their own country or abroad, in 2022 – up from 37.6 million (14%) in 2021.The biggest increase in holiday poverty came in France, where almost a million more hardworking people were forced to stay at home. The biggest percentage point changes came in Ireland (+3.8%) and France (+2.5%).

The European Central Bank has today announced interest rates will remain unchanged despite the fact that it says “most measures [of underlying inflation] were either stable or edged down in June.”Responding to the decision, ETUC General Secretary Esther Lynch said: “Today’s decision shows the ECB has no clear strategy of how to deal with profit-driven inflation.   

Trade unions are challenging Ursula von der Leyen to commit to quickly turning her promises to working people into directives with the necessary funding to make them a reality. The political guidelines published by Ursula von der Leyen include the following positive pledges:  

Even countries with low levels of debt are at high risk of adopting austerity measures under plans approved today by EU finance ministers.

President von der Leyen must commit to tackle economic and social insecurity from the workplace up. Working people are facing real problems that need EU action. Some of the key problems to which working people urgently need solutions are:

Commenting on the outcome of the European Council, ETUC General Secretary Esther Lynch said: “It is good news that the far-right have been frozen out of the decision on the EU’s top jobs. Cooperation with far-right forces in the European Parliament must also be rejected. “However, the best defence against the far-right is to ensure that every job in Europe is a top job: quality jobs with fair pay and conditions and collective bargaining in every sector and every region.

The ETUC Youth Committee has elected its new leadership for the coming two years. Céline Ruffie is the new Youth Committee President. She hails from the rail transport sector in France and was nominated by the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF). She is accompanied by Vice-President Vera de Man, from the Dutch union CNV. The other Youth Bureau members are:

The majority of EU member states did not take concrete action last year to increase the number of workers benefiting from collectively bargained wages and working conditions, a new report shows. The ETUC is warning member states of the approaching deadline of 15 November 2024 for the transposition of the Minimum Wages Directive.

Trade union leaders from across Europe are warning against letting in the anti-worker far right.  As negotiations advance for the formation of the leadership of the EU institutions, the European trade union movement is calling on all democratic forces to reject any cooperation with any part of the far right.

Trade unions are calling for the European Union’s social and labour standards to be fully upheld in negotiations on the accession of Ukraine, Moldova and Montenegro.

Georgian trade unions have today joined the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), a move which will help raise labour standards to the required levels for accession to the EU.The ETUC’s executive committee voted unanimously in favour of membership for the Georgian Trade Unions Confederation (GTUC), which is made up of 20 trade unions representing 156,000 workers in every sector of the economy.The GTUC plays a leading role in Georgia in the fight for democracy as well as workers’ rights and decent living standards.

The Council has today backed plans to strengthen the directive on European Works Councils. This is good news on the way to revision of the Directive. European Works Councils are meant to ensure that, despite the increasingly international nature of the economy,  workers’ rights to information and consultation about management decisions are upheld.

Raising interest rates is “costly and ineffective” in tackling the profit-driven inflation and instead punishes working people and prevents climate action, a new

The European Commission today announced that it is opening a ‘Excessive Deficit Procedure’ for Belgium, France, Italy, Hungary, Malta, Poland and Slovakia. Reacting to the announcement, ETUC General Secretary Esther Lynch said: “Forcing member states to make draconian cuts to public expenditure is a recipe for economic, social and political disaster. “The obsession with deficit reduction completely misses addressing the challenges Europe is facing with the twin transitions. What Europe needs is social and green investments.

Action needed to prevent work-related cancer will continue until at least 2028 under an agreement signed today by trade unions, businesses and member states.Cancer is the leading cause of work-related deaths in the EU with over 100,000 cancer deaths each year.The Roadmap on Carcinogens was launched in 2016 in an effort to tackle this scandal, leading to the introduction of safer exposure limits on dozens of dangerous substances commonly found in workplaces.

Trade unions are the motor of social justice. Yet, addressing the overlapping crises and long-term structural economic transformations will require coordinated efforts by other actors too.

ETUC General Secretary Esther Lynch addressed the International Labour Conference in Geneva. The following speech was delivered on 10 June 2024 during the plenary discussion on the report of the Director General titled 'Towards a Renewed Social Contract'. Check against delivery President and distinguished delegates,

Tesla’s attack on collective bargaining is part of a “worrying trend” which has seen workers’ rights eroded more quickly in Europe than in any other region of the world, according to a major new report.

Commenting on the European election exit poll, ETUC General Secretary Esther Lynch said:“While waiting for the full results, it is already clear that there will still be a democratic majority in the European Parliament, which means there is no need, or excuse, for backroom deals with any part of the anti-worker far-right. “But these preliminary results also make clear that business as usual cannot continue. Europe needs to urgently resolve the economic and social insecurity that lies behind growing anger and fear in our society.

The European trade union movement is sounding the alarm at proposals being tabled for the EU Talent Pool. The proposal would greenlight recruitment sharks who use exploitative methods. 

Responding to the ECB’s decision to cut interest rates from record levels, ETUC General Secretary Esther Lynch said:“Today’s decision is long overdue against a background of inflation which has been driven by the record profits of the biggest corporations - not by working people experiencing a historic cut in their living standards.

Did you know about the tradition pea soup 🍵✊ on picket lines in Finland❓From Helsinki to Europe - the only thing that's hotter than our soup is our determination to stand up for democracy.#SAKedustajisto 🤩 the workers of @duunarit are an inspiration. pic.twitter.com/n38syA4mE6

"We need to make sure to protect the right to organize, form and join trade unions against all union busting practices" @EstherLynchs speech at @ETUI_org event on "Shaping a new social contract for AI"

The call for an immediate ceasefire is more urgent than ever.  In response to the Foreign Affairs Council meeting on 27 May 2024, the ETUC reiterates our call on the EU to use all leverage to secure an immediate ceasefire and the release of all hostages, and concrete measures to ensure the government of Israel’s compliance with the ICJ ruling concerning the halting of military operations in Rafah and allowing the access of humanitarian aid into Gaza.