News

Subject: Minimum Wages



Submitted by: SETCA, Belgium

Motion Text:

The economic situation over the past 20 years in Europe has generated a relatively new social category known as the 'working poor'- ie. those who are in employment but remain below a defined poverty threshold. A common view is that the two situations – ie. being a low-wage worker and a members of the working poor - are closely related, and that reducing the incidence of low pay would lead to less poverty.

Low pay tends particularly to affect women, young people, unskilled blue-collar jobs, people on fixed-term contracts, trainees, people with a short period of service with their employer, working pensioners, students, widowed, divorced or single persons, and immigrants.*

On the other hand, as agreed upon by all members of the Council of Europe in Part 1 article 4 of the “European Social Charter” (Turin, 18 October 1961) :

“All workers have the right to a fair remuneration sufficient for a decent standard of living for themselves and their families.”

UNI Europa Youth therefore chains the application of a minimum wage that is sufficient for a decent standard of living for the worker and his or her family in the countries where it’s rational and necessary.



UNI-Europa Youth claims that all affiliates work for strong collective agreements or minimum wages that guarantee a sufficient level of pay – and decent standard of living for all workers and his or her family.

We urge the UNI Youth Europa Steering Group to take the necessary actions in order to raise the awareness of this issue amongst our political, economical and union leaders for this case. This item must be put high on all trade union agenda’s.

* Ioakimoglou, E. and Soumeli, E. - Low-wage workers and the 'working poor, 2002. http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/eiro/2002/08/study/tn0208101s.htm



Adopted with changes