The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) firmly stands with LGBTIQ workers across Europe – and calls for the European Commission to do the same by supporting the banned Budapest Pride.
Speaking at industriAll Europe Congress in Budapest today, ETUC General Secretary Esther Lynch announced the ETUC will join the Pride march on 28 June 2025. Commenting on the decision, Lynch said that silence in the face of oppression is complicity and called for solidarity with LGBTIQ people, especially in the workplace, in the face of rising intolerance.
Her intervention comes after reports that European Commissioners have been told to stay away from the Pride march in Budapest, which organisers are bravely pressing ahead with despite it having been banned earlier this year.
Hungary is among a growing number of places in Europe where governments and politicians are weaponising LGBTIQ rights to undermine democracy and roll back freedoms, such as the freedom of assembly and expression.
The ETUC calls on the European Union to rigorously defend its founding principles of non-discrimination, equality, and respect for all. These values must be protected—not only in words, but in action. The EU must hold Hungary and any Member State accountable when they violate the rights of LGBTIQ people and openly defy EU law.
Unions across Europe are fighting back—through collective agreements, inclusive policies, and public campaigns. LGBTIQ workers must know they are not alone. During Pride Month, the ETUC is calling for:
- Employers to work with trade unions and negotiate inclusive workplace policies;
- Politicians to refuse to be bullied into giving up equality and inclusion policies;
- The EU to adopt the long-delayed Horizontal Anti-Discrimination Directive;
- The right to organise and to march peacefully to be fully protected in every country, lift the ban on Pride marches everywhere;
- Immediate support for trade unions and support organisations facing repression for supporting LGBTIQ equality;
- Stronger legal mechanisms to challenge Member States that violate LGBTIQ rights or ban peaceful protest.
ETUC General Secretary Esther Lynch said:
"Far-right forces are targeting LGBTIQ people to stir up fear and distract from attacks on workers’ rights and democratic values. Pride marches are being banned, trans people are being vilified, and education on inclusion is under attack. These actions are not only discriminatory—they are incompatible with European values. Silence is complicity.
“The labour movement stands firm: we will never allow hate or discrimination to divide us. Every worker must feel safe and respected at work—no matter who they are or whom they love.
“Pride is not a slogan—it’s a call to action. Let Pride Month remind us that rights can never be taken for granted. LGBTIQ rights are human rights. And they are trade union rights.
“To every LGBTIQ worker across Europe: You are not alone. The ETUC will continue to work with its affiliates to ensure that Pride at work is not just symbolic, but a concrete reality 365 days a year, in every workplace, throughout Europe.”
ETUC Confederal Secretary Giulio Romani said:
“The disgraceful attacks being waged on the basic rights of LGTBIQ people show exactly why Pride is a protest not a party. It is an unfortunate reminder that the roots of Pride Month lay in the 1960s protests by LGTBIQ people against oppression they faced from the authorities.
“Trade unions refuse to see society dragged back by over 60 years and fully support the right of LGBTIQ people everywhere to protest for their right to live in freedom and dignity. We will not sit back and see our hard won rights violated and we will continue to organise in workplaces to strengthen equality and ensure employers enforce the law.
“European leaders should support the LGBTIQ people whose fundamental rights are being violated. Ending the freedom of assembly for one group of people puts Europe on a very slippery slope towards authoritarianism and real leaders would stand-up for European values.”
