Equality and non-discrimination

The ETUC is a leader in the fight for human rights and equality, it is committed to solidarity, equal respect and dignity for all.

We work closely with NGOs that are active at a European level in opposing unfair treatment, including discrimination against refugees, asylum-seekers, and undeclared and cross-border workers. To this end we are lobbing national governments and the EU to re-open the discussion about the Horizontal Directive and to move towards its long-overdue adoption.

In times when trade unions continue on their path to modernisation, we need unions that mirror the composition of the workforce and fully represent the needs of the groups most deprived of full employment, notably youth, women, migrants and those belonging to vulnerable groups (migrants, refugees, LGBTIQ, disabled etc)

ETUC will continue to convene online meetings of the equality and non-discrimination working group, which among others will serve as a place for dialogue, exchange of the best practices and strategical planning towards the ETUC Congress 2024.

25.05.2023 Press release

Von der Leyen adds ‘missing piece’ to equal pay puzzle

More than 45 years after the EU made equal pay the law, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen today joined with trade unions to ensure it is finally made a reality for women workers. President von der Leyen spoke at the congress of the European Trade Union Confederation in Berlin, where more than half of delegates are women, and ETUC General Secretary Esther Lynch called for the full and fast implementation at national level of the Pay Transparency Directive.
01.03.2023 Page

Recognising the role of black trade unionists

The British Trades Union Congress (TUC) has launched a Black Network – the first-ever national database set up to capture the contribution of black workers across the trade union movement and create a space for growth, empowerment and progress. “The TUC Black Network will be a powerful tool to connect, amplify and support the work of black activists, reps, organisers and trade union employees and officials,” says the Congress.  
30.11.2022 Page

Italian deal promotes gender equality and social inclusion

A milestone agreement between Italian unions FIOM-Cgil, FIM-Cisl and UILM and Trieste-based Fincantieri, Italy’s largest shipbuilding group, sets new standards on diversity, inclusion, work-life balance and employee well-being.
30.11.2022 Page

Highlighting disabled workers’ rights

The British Trades Union Congress is supporting Disability History Month, celebrated in the UK from November to December and focusing on disabled people’s struggle for equality and human rights across society.
14.06.2021 Document

LGBTIQ rights are trade union rights! ETUC position on the EU Strategy for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, non-binary, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) equality 2020-2025

LGBTIQ rights are trade union rights! ETUC position on the EU Strategy for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, non-binary, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) equality 2020-2025 Adopted at the Executive Committee Meeting of 3-4 June 2021
27.01.2021 Document

Holocaust Memorial Day

ETUC remembers and honours the victims of the Holocaust. We reaffirm our opposition to antisemitism, racism and all forms of intolerance that can lead to targeting people with violence. We reaffirm our total opposition to Nazism and Fascism. We recall that among its first victims were many trade unionists. We remember that the first Nazi concentration camps were built to imprison political opponents. We reiterate our opposition to misogyny and homophobia.
03.12.2020 Press release

EU Democracy Action Plan: Zuckerberg will sleep tonight

Facebook’s founder and CEO will still sleep soundly tonight after the European Commission took only tentative steps towards stronger regulation of social media platforms in its Democracy Action Plan published today. The dominant market position of the digital giants, and business models that benefit from spreading content regardless of its veracity, seem to be disturbed only a little by the Plan. Instead, the Commission commits to
17.02.2020 Page

Fashion industry glamour veils exploitation of young workers

British trade union Bectu, which organises in the media and creative industries, is investigating the working conditions of fashion assistants. The union wants to uncover the scale of abuse among junior staff, as portrayed in the film ‘The Devil Wears Prada’.
17.02.2020 Page

Irish politicians urged to shun hate speech

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions united with community and religious groups and civil society organisations in calling on all candidates in the February 2020 general election to conduct a respectful and truthful campaign.
18.09.2019 Page

The right to a day at the seaside

Over the summer months, trade unions representing pensioners in Croatia launched action to stop older people being unfairly excluded from access to beaches and tourist resorts. According to the Union of Autonomous Trade Unions of Croatia (SSSH), local authorities in some popular tourist destinations impose such high fees for bus access and parking that they are out of reach for retired people. The Croatian Pensioners’ Union has branded charges of up to 1,000 kuna (€135) per day per bus in some seaside resorts as ageist and discriminatory.
18.09.2019 Page

Unions condemn Polish newspaper hate campaign

European journalists’ trade unions have condemned the distribution of ‘LGBT-free zone’ stickers by the weekly paper Gazeta Polska. The ETUC-affiliated European Federation of Journalists says the stickers – featuring a black cross over the LGBT rainbow symbol – promote discrimination and violate the principles all journalists should adhere to.
24.07.2019 Press release

ETUC condemns 'LGBT free zone' in Poland

The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) is appalled that Polish newspaper Gazeta Polska distributed today ‘LGBT free zone’ stickers. Doing so could create unnecessary divisions and conflicts in workplaces and in society, as demonstrated by the violence against members of the LGTB community on Saturday. Producing such stickers could lead people to break the law by discriminating on grounds of sexual orientation, which is against EU and Polish law. It also disrespects fundamental human rights.
13.06.2019 Press release

ETUC video messages - Europride 2019

Euro Pride 2019 - ETUC stands with you  Video messages by Ludovic Voet and Isabelle Schömann, ETUC Confederal Secretaries
10.05.2019 Page

Union members support Belgian Pride event

Members of the Belgian ACV-CSC union’s platform for LGBTQI members, LGBT@Work, joined the Belgian Pride celebrations in May, with the slogan: ‘All for One’. ACV-CSC LGBT@Work unites workers and activists who aim to promote non-discrimination and improve conditions for homosexual, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people in the workplace. They should have the right to express their sexual identity and to receive fair and equal treatment, as well as the same career and promotion opportunities as other employees.
25.04.2019 Document

ETUC statement “Trade unions call for MEPs to promote solidarity and the rights of all workers”

ETUC statement “Trade unions call for MEPs to promote solidarity and the rights of all workers” Endorsed at the Executive Committee of 24 April 2019 The trade union movement stands for the rights of all workers, no matter what country they are from or their immigration status.
26.11.2018 Page

Belgian unions say no to racism

Trade unions cannot accommodate racist extremism. The constitution of Belgium’s FGTB union is explicit: “There is no place in the FGTB for racist, sexist, xenophobic or fascist ideas or behaviour.”
25.11.2018 Page

The yellow hand calls a halt to discrimination

In Germany, trade unions have taken a stand against the growth of the far-right. Although so-called ‘populist’ parties have tried to woo working people, after the riots in Chemnitz in the summer the DGB union highlighted its opposition to extremism through the slogan #wirsindmehr: ‘we are more’, and posting pro-diversity and anti-racist materials on Facebook.  
25.11.2018 Page

Creating open and tolerant workplaces

The CFDT union in France has published a guide to help trade union activists to deal with religious diversity in workplaces. Le Fait Religieux en Entreprise offers information on the legal framework surrounding religious freedom, at national, European and international levels. This includes the 1905 law establishing France as a secular state – a principle later embodied in the French Constitution.
07.09.2018 Page

Cyprus unions combat hate speech

Journalists’ trade unions in Cyprus have joined together in a bid to overcome the longstanding social tensions that divide Greek and Turkish Cypriots and help media workers to be more aware of the sensitivities of neighbouring communities.
14.01.2018 Page

Hotel workers pledge to combat racism

Trade union members working for the NH Hotels group in Belgium have set up a ‘Committee for a company without racism’ (Comité pour une entreprise sans racisme) as part of the 'Racism Game Over' campaign. The three Belgian organisations, FGTB, CSC and CGSLB, are taking part in an inter-union forum on 21 March to discuss the next move in the campaign.
21.12.2017 Press release

Directive on Transparent and Predictable Working Conditions: a first major step forward but weaker than expected

Responding today to the European Commission’s proposal for a Directive on Transparent and Predictable Working Conditions, Esther Lynch, ETUC Confederal Secretary, welcomed some important improvements, although this reform is not the game-changer unions needed or expected.
24.11.2017 Press release

Trade Unions: no more brushing sexual harassment & violence under the table!

“Trade unions and employers play a major role in making work safe for women, and helping to eliminate harassment and violence against women,” said Luca Visentini, Secretary General of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC). “Collective agreements have shown to be a most effective means to combat this scourge.”  
24.11.2017 Press release

Trade Unions: no more brushing sexual harassment & violence under the table!

“Trade unions and employers play a major role in making work safe for women, and helping to eliminate harassment and violence against women,” said Luca Visentini, Secretary General of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC). “Collective agreements have shown to be a most effective means to combat this scourge.”  
30.06.2017 Document

Madrid Declaration on 'The Rights of LGBTQI* People in the Workplace'

The European Trade Union Confederation celebrated the 2017 World Pride at a trade union conference, hosted and co-organised by the Spanish trade unions CC.OO and UGT, on ‘The Rights of LGBTQI* People in the Workplace’, which took place on 29-30 June. The conference was an opportunity for the ETUC and its affiliated organisations, represented via the LGBTQI* rights trade union network, to strengthen their cooperation in the fight for human rights, trade union rights and equality for all workers.
12.12.2016 Page

Trade unionists show racists the red card

Scotland loves football, and it should be a game that welcomes everyone. The British train drivers’ union ASLEF is one of the trade unions taking action to ‘Show Racism the Red Card’, and kick race-hate out of the beautiful game. Members in Scotland have collected money to pay for printing of materials, visits to schools to talk to children about racial tolerance, and events involving footballers themselves. “The backing we get from ASLEF never ceases to amaze us,” said SRtRC campaign manager Nicole Hay.