ETUC Executive Committee: Europe's workers need a pay rise

2016.12.14-15 ETUC EC EPSU GS and VP stand up for undocumented workers

(19 December 2016). The main discussion centered around pay. Many workers, including public service workers have not seen decent pay increases over many years. More and more workers are on low pay. The gender pay gap is persistent and upwards convergence in wages between older and new member states is not happening.  Europe’s unions decided to confront this and will organize a series of event to underline our case. The ETUC adopted a campaign plan including resources to fight for higher wages.

The ITUC General Secretary Sharan Burrows addressed the ETUC Executive speaking about the collaboration, the challenges to the unions, the need to organize and build union power and about the forthcoming G20 meeting in Germany (7-8 July 2017)  and G7 in Italy 26–27 May, 2017. The German trade union confederation has argued that gender equality should be an issue high on the agenda of the G20.

Positions were adopted on:

  • CETA: ETUC underlines that the mobilization has made more people aware of the trade agreement, that there have been attempts to respond from governments but that it does not meet the standards the unions have set. We will influence the Parliament not to give its agreement to the text on the table. In a recent development the French Human Rights Committee has come out with a very critical position on CETA, sharing the view of the unions that CETA can not be adopted as it is.  ETUC will continue contributing to shape what progressive and fair trade should be.
  • New protection for self-employed workers  ETUC considered one of the main challenges for the future of work - the increase in self-employed workers for example as crowd workers on platforms.
  • Statement on the evolution of the situation in Turkey  and action plan to support workers who have seen their rights violated.
  • The EU Insolvency Law reform and how best to protect the rights of workers and their entitlements including related to the collective agreements in case of restructuring and insolvency situation.
  • Whistle-blowers protection. Following campaign work by Eurocadres, ETUC, EPSU and others (See also the petition) the Commission included in its work programme 2017 that it would come forward with proposals for legislation. The ETUC position lays down what we expect from such proposals to protect workers and others that make public the wrong-doing of companies, institutions, public bodies among others.
  • Members had a major discussion on the draft agreement on Active ageing and intergenerational approach reached between the intersectoral social partners. EPSU is consulting the affiliates with a deadline of 11 January.
  • Future of Social Dialogue Members considered the progress with the social dialogue. Employers are blocking improvements in workers’ rights. An example of such a blockade is that employers frustrate concrete steps to close the gender pay gap and take measures to achieve gender equality. ETUC adopted a strategy to deal with Work-Life Balance.
    see also the ETUC Resolution on the Future of Social Dialogue
  • Commission's proposals for a Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base Taxation is a key issue for public service workers and EPSU and ETUC are campaigning for tax justice and addressing tax avoidance by corporations.
  • An ETUC action programme for Welfare and Social Protection
  • The Macedonian confederation KSS was accepted as a new affiliate. EPSU has members in this confederation.
  • Budget 2017 was adopted

The Executive Committee also elected our Finnish colleague Katja Lehto-Komulainen as its Deputy General Secretary, replacing Veronica Nilsson 

Discussions on proposals for action on Minimum Wages and on a position on evaluation of the European Works Council Directive were postponed due to lack of time for discussion. EPSU Vice-President Francoise Geng and the EPSU General Secretary participated in the meeting, 14 and 15 December 2016, Brussels