Speeches

Esther Lynch, ETUC General Secretary, spoke at the International Forum for Peace 2025, marking exactly fifty years since the signing of the Helsinki Accords. This is the speech she delivered: Colleagues, Friends in Peace, It is an honour to speak with you today at the International Forum for Peace 2025. I’m here not only as a representative of Europe’s trade union movement, but as part of a global family committed to social justice, dignity, and peace for all working people.

Speaking at its 2024 Annual Conference on 27 June, which marks the 5th anniversary of the European Labour Authority, Esther Lynch, General Secretary of the ETUC gave the following keynote speech on ‘Navigating Europe’s Labour Mobility Landscape:5 years of ELA and 30 years of EURES’: Dear Executive Director Boiangu, Commissioner Schmit and Deputy Prime Minister Dermagne and distinguished guests,

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,

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"

Dear colleagues, I am happy to contact you on the eve of the 2024 International Workers’ Day – in a crucial time for workers and their trade unions.  This is the first International Workers’ Day since the Berlin Congress and celebration of the 50 years of the ETUC in and since our common demand for a fair deal for workers. 

La Hulpe, 16 April 2024   High-Level Conference on the European Pillar of Social Rights Intervention of Esther Lynch, ETUC General Secretary La Hulpe : A project of hope  [Check against delivery]   Dear Presidents, Dear Deputy Prime Ministers,  Dear Commissioner, 

Brussels, 20 March 2024 [Check against delivery]   There can be no doubt about the need for action. 

Putting the money where the Decent Work is Speech Esther Lynch, General Secretary, European Trade Union Confederation [Check against delivery]   Director General, Distinguished Delegates, It is a great honour to represent 54m workers and their trade unions around Europe. We come here to the ILC seeking justice and respect. Respect for every worker, men and women in all our diversity.

Tripartite Social Summit – 22 March 2023 -  Intervention of Esther Lynch, ETUC General Secretary "Cracking Europe’s Competitiveness Code" [Check against delivery] President von der Leyen, President Michel, Prime Minister Kristersson, Vice-President,  Commissioner, Deputy Prime Minister, colleagues,

To be checked against delivery   Welcome at the EP premises, colleagues. This is really good to see you and to see you here; Thanks for having replied so numerous to our call. We are in the EP, at the heart of the EU democratic decision-making process. This is a 1ere for most of you! This is a one of the goals we had to bring you as close as possible to EU democracy… so that you make your voice heard, the voice of EWC members, of unionists, of workers rep. as constituencies of businesses. Why?

Europe’s economy still suffers from insufficient growth, and unemployment levels remain unacceptably high. Very low inflation rates are close to sending Europe into technical deflation. We appreciate recent efforts by the European Central Bank, but very little of the quantitative easing money has gone into the real economy so far. It has largely benefitted the banks. It’s time to change the macroeconomic course of Europe towards higher investment and internal demand.

First of all, thank you for inviting the ETUC to your conference, and for inviting me as a new confederal secretary. Congratulations to Therese and Vivian, the conference chairs. I think is a good idea to pay tribute to all the Irish women who have dedicated their lives to fighting for equal opportunities, and for better lives for future generations. We need to continue this work.

[Check against delivery]   President Juncker  President Tusk President Bettel Vice President Dombrovskis Commissioner Thyssen Minister Schmit Deputy Prime Minister Asscher Minister Richter Esteemed authorities, Dear colleagues from social partners, First of all let me tell you that the ETUC fully supports the European Commission’s initiatives to address the refugee emergency in Europe.

Speech given by Bernadette Ségol, General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) Committee on International Trade - EU Trade Policy To be checked against delivery   President, I would like to thank the Committee for your invitation to discuss EU trade policy, on behalf of the European Trade Union Confederation to which are affiliated national trade union confederations in the EU, and more widely in Europe, as well as European federations covering all industrial sectors.

Joint text by Bernadette Ségol, ETUC General Secretary, Martin Schulz, President of the European Parliament   

Stockholm, 15/11/2013 Check against delivery President, Friends, Thank you for giving me the floor. I bring you the greetings of the European Trade Union Confederation. I would like to take this opportunity to talk to you about our main concerns, our main issues, our main priorities. You will not be surprised if I start by a few words about the crisis we have and are still going through.

Lisbon, 28/10/2013 [Check against delivery] Caras e Caros Colegas, Em nome da Confederação europeia de sindicatos (CES) , eu gostaria de dizer aqui uma palavrinha em portugês, para agradecer a UGT assim que o seu Secretario geral e amigo Carlos Silva, por me ter convidado a comerorar, convosco os 35 anos da UGT. I like to introduce the European Trade Union Confederation as the European Trade Union because this designation immediately shows what we are, what we do and for whom, and why we do it.

Helsinki, 31/10/2013 [Check against delivery] Mrs Minister, Dear Mikko, dear Ninna, Dear colleagues and friends,

Bruxelles, 24/10/2013 Check against delivery President(s), partners The European Trade Union Confederation was waiting with anticipation for the Commission Communication on strengthening the social dimension of Economic and Monetary Union, together with the role of social dialogue. But its adoption on 2 October left us profoundly dissatisfied. I would like to make a few brief remarks regarding this proposal and also on the general situation we are in.

Brussels, 16/10/2013 The launch of negotiations for a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership with the USA represents a significant step-change in transatlantic relations, which collectively account for half of global GDP in terms of value. We are constantly told that this is more than a trade agreement, in yet when it comes to the social dimension we are still trapped in the trade-logic.

Malta 03/10/2013 Check against delivery Mr Prime Minister, Dear President, Dear Tony, Dear Friends, Thank you for inviting me, on behalf of the European Trade Union Confederation, to address you on this historic occasion – the Seventieth Anniversary of the GWU.

Riga, 20/09/2013 [Check against delivery] Dear Prime Minister, speakers, colleagues, friends, distinguished guests,

Rotterdam, 15/05/2013 Check against delivery Dear Friends, Thank you for inviting me to speak to your congress. I am bringing you the warm and fraternal greetings of the European trade union confederation of whom FNV has been a strong, loyal and constructive member since the beginning, that is forty years ago.