Europe’s record labour shortages are being driven by low wages and working conditions, new research shows. The job vacancy rate in Europe is currently at a record high and more than a quarter of EU businesses reported production problems as a result of labour shortages last year. EU leaders and business representatives have blamed the shortage solely on a skills gap among European workers. Equipping more workers with the skills needed to work in the industries of the future is a crucial part of a socially just transition to a green economy.

From 1 May, all private-sector workers who cycle to work in Belgium will have the right to higher mileage allowances, under a deal between trade unions and employers. The compensation per kilometre will increase from €0.24 to €0.27, indexed annually.

July 24 was a day to remember and pay tribute to the work of night and shift workers in Belgium. Trade unionists established Shift-workers’ Day in 2021 to highlight the sometimes-invisible contribution of the women and men who are on duty at all times of the day or night, 24 hours, seven days a week, to keep essential services running. They are the workers who ensure the continuous operation of society’s activities, businesses and sectors.

The CFDT, CFE-CGC and UNSA trade unions in France have agreed a sustainable mobility package with Paris-based multinational insurance company Axa, that will reimburse employees for coming to work by more climate-friendly means of transport.

Trade unions in Spain, together with the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, have agreed to launch a permanent dialogue on issues relating to the agricultural sector and policies affecting workers. CCOO de Industria and UGT-FICA insist that agricultural employers must respect the minimum wage and have called on the Ministry to intervene to guarantee collective bargaining rights for all workers.