The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) is saddened by the passing of Pope Francis, a global voice for dignity, justice, and solidarity. His unwavering support for workers' rights, fair wages, and social justice inspired millions and resonated deeply with our trade union mission.
A trade union delegation, coordinated by the ETUC, participated in a social partner exchange of views with Commission Vice-President Minzatu on 16 April, highlighting the urgent need for immediate measures to ensure quality jobs and uphold Europe's social model.
The ETUC has called on the EU to protect jobs and stand firm against any back-tracking on standards and rights in negotiations with the US administration. The 31 million people who work in manufacturing across the EU, many of whom are still facing the consequences of the US’ 25% tariffs, are relying on immediate EU action.
The EU must equip itself with the tools to protect jobs from the consequences of the US tariffs. Securing these jobs and investing in expanding the know-how of Europe’s workforce will be crucial to the success of the EU’s industrial strategy.
The ETUC and the EFBWW (European Federation of Building and Woodworkers) have urged the European Union to take decisive action to simplify subcontracting practices by limiting their use and promoting direct employment.
Workers and their unions across Greece are on general strike today to call for measures to address the cost-of-living.
The ETUC has echoed their demands towards the EU institutions and called on European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to use all available tools to see that collective bargaining agreements at all levels are reinstated.
“Austerity may be officially over, but its structural legacies remain deeply entrenched in labour market governance,” reads a letter by GSEE President Yannis Panagopoulos and General Secretary Nikos Fotopoulos.
This month marks 10 years since the ETUC decided to step up its implication in EU standard-setting. Since 2015, the ETUC has worked to ensure better representation and more effective participation of trade unions in standardisation.
Standards permeate the world of work. They provide rules and guidance on how products and tools are made, methods are applied, and services are rendered.
Not only are they crucial in enabling the single market through interoperability and compatibility; they also ensure the safety and quality of products.
The Trade Union Intergroup of the European Parliament – a cross-party group of Members of the European Parliament motivated by forwarding the interests of working people – held its first meeting since the EU elections today in Strasbourg.
The Trade Union Intergroup is co-chaired by MEPs Dennis Radtke (EPP), Estelle Ceulemans (S&D), Jana Toom (Renew Europe), Maria Ohisalo (Greens/EFA) and Leila Chaibi (Left), and is supported in its work by the European Trade Union Confederation. ETUC General Secretary Esther Lynch participated in the launch of the Intergroup.
The 20% tariffs on goods from the EU announced today by the US government will hit working people hardest.
While the full extent and impact of the tariffs announced by the US is not yet clear, it is essential that the EU response delivers a comprehensive strategy to stabilize the economy and save jobs as it responds to the changed trade environment.
Europe must not be bullied out of our values and standards. We must not water down our rights and rules.
Essential elements to protect jobs and incomes
Following the decision to open the ‘stop the clock’ urgency procedure on the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CS3D) and the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), the ETUC is calling on all MEPs to vote down the postponement of the directives.
Workers and their unions are on general strike across Belgium to face down a sweep of anti-worker measures in the coalition agreement of the government. Pension restrictions, annulment of negotiated overtime bonusses, demonstration bans and forcing trade unions to report on their strike funds. These are only a few of the measures the Belgian government coalition agreement implies.
The ETUC and industriAll Europe have called on the EU to urgently bring in job protection measures in response to today’s announcement by the Trump administration that it will impose 25% tariff rate on cars imported from Europe.
Responding to the European Commission’s proposals for a Preparedness Union Strategy, ETUC General Secretary Esther Lynch said:
"Preparedness means being ready for climate, biological and security events. We’ve received reports time and again that the workplace dimension was overlooked. This is a real risk when there is top down decision-making that discards the reality on the ground, trade unions need to be included.
ETUC General Secretary Esther Lynch speech at 6th Uni-Europa Conference "Real say, more pay: forward through collective bargaining"
[To be checked against delivery]
Delegates, Colleagues and Friends
It is always a privilege to bring solidarity greetings from the 45 million workers and their trade unions that the ETUC represents but it is a particular honour to be asked to do so here in Belfast.
Trade unions have never been more relevant, nor more needed, than now.
The ETUC has called on the Commission to expand the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund and make it into a pre-emptive tool to save jobs, as part of its initiatives set to be announced tomorrow.
The resources allocated to the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund are not sufficient to meet the threat of mass layoffs faced by working communities across Europe. Funding must be massively scaled up to meet the challenges the EU is facing in the turbulent geopolitical context.
The ETUC estimates that over 100,000 jobs will be lost if worker-focussed measures are delayed until October 2025. In exchanges with President Costa and President von der Leyen at the Tripartite Social Summit today, trade unions stressed the urgent need for EU action, currently at risk of being delayed until the end of the year.
Reacting to the European Commission’s communication on Savings and Investments Union reform presented today, Ludovic Voet, ETUC Confederal Secretary, said:
“This proposal socialises the risks, to the detriment of workers and taxpayers.
“Encouraging people to get more pension funds products driven by financial markets would expose people to market volatility.
“Working people haven’t forgotten the consequences of greater liberalisation of the financial markets.
Retaliatory measures will not be enough to save the jobs that could be wiped out by the Trump administration’s 25% tariffs on steel and aluminium. The ETUC and industriAll Europe are calling on the EU institutions for immediate action to support the workers impacted by the tariffs and to equip itself with a SURE-stye job protection mechanism coupled with a permanent investment facility up to the task of prioritising quality jobs in a volatile geopolitical environment.
Commenting on the European Commission’s deportations plan published today, ETUC Confederal Secretary Giulio Romani said:“Nothing illustrates how wrong and counterproductive this deportation plan is than the fact it is being launched on the same day as the Commission is holding meetings about the need to increase migration because of demographic change and labour shortages.“The priority should be establishing more regular pathways for people to come and work in Europe safely, ensuring that they cannot be exploited by unscrupulous employers.
The ETUC and European social partners met with the presidents of the ECB and the Eurogroup, Commissioner Vladis Dumborvskis and ministers of finance from member states at the biannual Macro-Economic Dialogue at Political Level (MEDPOL).
Trade unions on both sides of the Channel have joined forces to call for the reset in EU-UK relations to bring real benefits to working people. The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) are today publishing a joint set of demands for the EU-UK summit that will take place in May. In a first joint intervention since the signing of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement in 2020, unions are calling for:
The ETUC calls for a full suspension of the economic governance rules, following the outcomes of the heads of member states meeting in Brussels yesterday.
The economic governance rules must be fully suspended and reformed. This is urgently needed to allow for the necessary investments for a European industrial policy, quality jobs, just transitions, public services, along with security.
Plans by businesses to block pay transparency would impact over 10 million working women, costing them a total of at least 4.8 billion Euros a year, according to new findings based on ETUI research.
Commenting on the ECB’s decision to cut interest rates today, ETUC General Secretary Esther Lynch said: “The ECB has a duty to keep cutting interest rates with the same urgency with which they raised them to record levels at the expense of workers and their companies. “High interest rates are preventing the scale of investment required for Europe to decarbonise its industries, putting at risk quality jobs now and in the future.
The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) urges the European Commission to ensure the “Union of Skills” initiative establishes a legally binding right to training for all workers, including on
