News

An EESC-ILO Conference on the Future of Work was held this week in Brussels in the framework of the global consultation called by the ILO. The event aimed to identify the key challenges and opportunities related to the Future of Work in the EU context.

Meanwhile in Nyon,  the UNI Global Union Leadership Summit on the Future World of Work took place. Oliver Roethig, UNI Europa Regional Secretary said: ‘The discussions showed that the digital revolution is a global phenomenon, it does not stop at Europe’s borders. We need to have a joint effort bringing together union experiences across the globe. We have to ensure that trade unions have the agility to address the forthcoming challenges. Digitalisation threatens to bring about an even greater precarisation of work. The unions in Europe can learn much from the experience of colleagues in other parts of the world where the informal economy is much more prevalent.’

UNI Europa, the ETUC and the European trade union movement are convinced that together we are stronger – economically, socially and democratically. The EU cannot achieve higher standards of living for all without fairer integration and upward convergence. We all deserve a better European Union for its people and workers. That’s why we call for

Sustainable economic growth for quality job creation and better working conditions
Relaunching the European social model, with stronger labour rights and social protection
More democratic values, putting workers and citizens at the heart of Europe

UNI Europa, along with the ETUC, believes the European Pillar of Social Rights, which will be launched in early 2017, can be a way of getting Europe back on track, but only if it provides a credible promise of hope for working people. The EU’s ambition must be for working life once again to provide a positive and predictable future, based on fairness, progress and social safety. We need a broad and large working class that is not in a precarious working and living situation. We need a Europe where social and employment rights take precedence over unrestricted capital.

The European Pillar of Social Rights must lead to a real and substantive social action programme encompassing legislation, policymaking mechanisms and financial resources, and the trade union movement will work with President Juncker, Vice-President Timmermans and the rest of the European Commission to build the kind of European Pillar of Social Rights we need for the 21st Century.