The European Trade Union Confederation and its Youth Committee warned EU leaders meeting today in Brussels that the proposed European Solidarity Corps – on the agenda for today’s summit - should not divert funds or focus away from tackling youth unemployment. “The European Solidarity Corps could be a good thing if it’s really supports volunteering and not cheap labour” said Thiébaut Weber, Confederal Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation. “It should not be paid for by money allocated for the Youth Employment Initiative or apprenticeships”.

The Labour Mobility Package for the coordination of social security for workers who take up free movement within the EU, is a complex and highly technical legal package which offers some improvements, but does not deal with all the disadvantages faced by mobile workers says the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC). Proposals that mark an improvement include

The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) has elected Katja Lehto-Komulainen as its Deputy General Secretary, replacing Veronica Nilsson who is standing down for family reasons. Katja Lehto-Komulainen is Finnish, has long experience of working at the Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions (SAK) and was Head of International Affairs.

Commenting on EU employment figures that show an 0.2% increase in employment in the 3rd quarter of 2016 compared to the 2nd quarter, and a 1.2% in the euro area and 1.1% increase in the EU28 compared to the 3rd quarter of 2015, Veronica Nilsson, Deputy General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation, said

Dear Readers, Welcome to the third edition of our National UPdates newsletter illustrating how trade unions at national as well as EU level are working constructively with other partners in society, including employers, governments and civil society organisations, for social progress and justice in Europe. National UPdates will be sent to your mailbox quarterly.  To read the document, please click here.

Will an “EU Services Card” (previously known as ‘Services Passport’) be included in an ‘Internal Market Package’, due to be unveiled by the European Commission next week?   The idea is supposed make it easier for businesses to provide services across borders, but is opposed by trade unions and employers. Trade unions say it

The ETUC is calling on Eurogroup Finance Ministers meeting on 5 December not to impose further damaging “reforms” to Greece’s labour market and Greek workers’ rights following an urgent appeal by Greek trade union GSEE. Discussions are ongoing between the Greek Government and Greece’s creditors, with the IMF pushing for further deregulation of the already highly deregulated labour market.  Key issues include creditors demanding

As the EU-Georgia Association Council prepared to hold its third meeting in Brussels (2 December), trade unionists from both sides demanded action to improve industrial relations and advance the rights and interests of working people in Georgia.  

Commenting on the European Commission’s Energy Union winter package, the European Trade Union Confederation

Dear Readers, We have just published the November 2016 edition of the ETUC Newsletter. To read the document, please click here. Enjoy!

Today, 29 November, the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) met Martin Schulz, President of the European Parliament, to present him with the 158 MEP Pledges of support for trade union rights in Europe. 158 MEPs from 24 countries, and 5 political groups, have signed an ETUC pledge to respect and promote trade union rights in all their work on EU legislation and policy initiatives – see https://www.etuc.org/campaign/turights .

Trade Unions are fully determined to eliminate violence against women through collective agreements, and their proper implementation with employers, at national, sectoral and company levels.

On 22 November the European Commission published it proposals for applying the UN Sustainable Development Goals, not only in its external development and cooperation policies, but also within Europe. The ETUC supports the Sustainable Development Goals, welcomes the role played by the European Union in developing and adopting them, and welcomes the fact that they will apply to Europe as well as to other countries.