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European services make up more than 70% of both EU output and jobs. But EU policy for that industry has largely failed to ensure fair employment and has instead exclusively focused on the creation of the single market for services through comprehensive liberalisation and deregulation. Intense cost pressure and volatile markets represent the primary outcomes of such reform measures. This leads to:

• a decline of the quality of services that citizens and businesses rely on
• unmet investment needs that hamper innovation
• low-wage and insecure employment that fuel dynamics of rising income inequalities

UNI Europa is calling for a rethink of EU services policy – which is especially pressing before the European Commission publishes its new strategy for the services sector in mid-2015 as part of its new Internal Market Strategy.

UNI Europa’s new report (download) shows how the sector, supported by the right policies, has the power to boost growth and competitiveness, improve citizens’ quality of life, and create much needed quality jobs. UNI Europa proposes measures including:

• Empowerment: Active employment policies to develop an empowered, skilled, healthy, and fairly remunerated services workforce. That includes protecting all workers’ right to collective bargaining and to take industrial action.
• Participation: Involving workers, including the self-employed, in company decisions to use their expertise and to identify win-win situations.
• Innovation: Leveraging Horizon 2020 and other programs for more and better research on services to support innovation, improve the monitoring of services markets, and enable more targeted and successful policy-making for the European services industry.
• Investment: At least 2% of GDP for public investment, and a fairer distribution of wealth are required to create the right conditions for a services industry that is fit for the job.

With its report, UNI Europa aims to open a constructive exchange between social partners, policy-makers, and stakeholders on the future of European services.

Download the full report here

For more information contact

Elke Zander – Communications Officer
UNI europa
Tel: +32 2 234 56 48
Mob: +32 487 596 539
elke.zander@uniglobalunion.org