News

The ETUC has sent a letter urging the European Commission to withdraw their proposal on the introduction of competiveness authorities and organise proper consultations of the social partners.

The letter expresses the ETUC’s deep concern that such councils could infringe the autonomy of social partners in collective bargaining and wage setting and more general in industrial relations and social dialogue.

If these authorities would systematically draw up wage comparisons between euro area member states (as proposed by the Five Presidents’ report), they would organise a wage race to the bottom resulting in depressed internal demand, deflationary risk and prolonged depression

As the ETUC has not been informed about the intention to make this recommendation, it urges the European Commission to postpone the decision on this recommendation until a proper discussion is organised between and with the ETUC and other social partners.

Read the full letter here