The Council under the leadership of the Belgian presidency of the EU must deliver a strong platform work directive as a first step towards ending precarious work and returning to the social Europe envisioned by Jacques Delors.
That is the call Esther Lynch, General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), made in Namur at the first meeting of employment and social affairs ministers under the Belgian presidency, welcoming the focus put on quality jobs and on the European Pillar of Social Rights.
The meeting comes three weeks after the EU Council failed to approve the outcome of trialogue negotiations on the platform work directive.
The Belgian government holds the final presidency before the European elections in June but Lynch said:
“There is still important work to do before the end of the term. The EU institutions must finalise the Directive to improve working conditions in platform work. We also urge the Commission to come forward now with a proposal for a Directive on telework and the right to disconnect."
Speaking publicly for the first time since the death of Jacques Delors, Lynch called for today’s leaders to embrace his vision of a social Europe that put the single market at the service of people.
“There must be a fundamental change. The benefits of the single market have not been shared equally, the wealthiest have seen their income increase, not through the quality or quantity of their work, but overwhelmingly through speculative wealth extraction. Meanwhile working people on low and middle incomes have seen their real pay decrease.
"New business models threaten employment rights and increase the imbalance of power away from workers and their trade unions. Europe should be a place where it pays to work, not a casino where it pays to bet on the downfall of our hard-won social standards.
“The purpose of the social market economy must be first and foremost quality jobs, the improvement of living and working conditions and the achievement of the European Pillar of Social Rights.
“Solving the lack of ‘quality jobs’ problem needs to be a central theme of the upcoming mandate. Social Europe must be at the centre of the programme and of the work of the European institutions in the next years.”
"Europe needs to get back on track. We need more quality jobs."@EstherLynchs highlights working people's priorities as she meets employment ministers from across 🇪🇺 today.#EU2024BE #EPSCO pic.twitter.com/WlNVfmFZva
— EUROPEAN TRADE UNIONS (@etuc_ces) January 11, 2024
Notes
Full text of the speech to EPSCO by ETUC General Secretary
Video of arrival and doorstep message by ETUC General Secretary
