EU Employment Ministers meeting in the Employment Council yesterday agreed to recommend that all member states should guarantee adequate and effective social protection - such as sickness, unemployment, maternity and paternity benefits and pensions - to all working people including the self-employed. Unfortunately the Ministers did NOT agree to recommend that mandatory social protection should include the self-employed – who now make up more than 15% of the Europe’s workforce - somewhat undermining the principle of equal social protection for all.

EU Employment Ministers today agreed a ‘general approach’ on the Regulation establishing a European Labour Authority (ELA). This now means the final regulation to set up the Authority will be negotiated in trialogue discussions between national government officials, MEPs and the European Commission.

Trade unions this week succeeded in getting Just Transition accepted as an integral part of the UN framework of climate action. At the opening of COP24 in Katowice the Polish Presidency presented its ‘Solidarity and Just Transition Silesia Declaration’ with the full support of the European Union. The declaration

Our democracies are under attack. The rise of hate, divisive, and socially and environmentally destructive political forces– including in many EU countries – are putting our democracies at risk.

A new free online course which aims to explain the complex world of standards in clear and simple terms has been launched. It is designed to be used by everyone, regardless of their level of knowledge or their background.

The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) is aware of pressure from the European Commission on Switzerland to use the current negotiations on a new framework agreement with the EU as an attempt to dismantle “accompanying measures”, introduced to protect posted workers and Swiss workers from social dumping and undercutting of wages.

ETUC – CLC joint statement on the Sustainable Development Chapter in CETA Trade unions in the EU and Canada are united in our call for progressive trade deals that promote decent jobs, protect and enhance labour rights, protect public services and lead to fair distribution of wealth. We worked together throughout the negotiations on CETA to call for the deal to respect these objectives.

Letter sent to Saulius Skvernelis, Prime Minister of the Republic of Lithuania  Subject: Lithuania needs a significant increase of the minimum monthly wage The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) supports the position of the Lithuanian Trade Union Confederation (LTUC/LPSK), which is its affiliate, and favours its aim to raise the minimum monthly wage in Lithuania by 50 instead of 20 euros.

Considering that the 20th EU-Ukraine Summit is held in Brussels on the 9th of July 2018, and that the meeting of the Council of the EU-Ukraine Association is planned in December, the European and Ukrainian trade unions believe that urgent measures should be taken, with the support of the European Commission, to improve the social and economic situation in the country, and to increase the effectiveness of social dialogue and adherence to the fundamental ILO Conventions.

The negotiations of the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) were finalised in December last year. The signature of the EPA is foreseen on 11 July 2018. Separate negotiations on investment protection continue in parallel. The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) and the Japanese Trade Union Confederation (JTUC-RENGO) recognize the importance of creating frameworks for economic cooperation between EU and Japan, which are major mutual trading partners, in guiding both economies onto a stable and sustainable growth trajectory, and establishing sustainable employment.

Letter sent to Ms Federica Mogherini,  High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and to Ms Marianne Thyssen, Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility   Dear High Representative Mogherini, dear Commissioner Thyssen,

25 June 2018 Consultation on ACP-EU Partnership Agreement European Commission Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development   Post-Cotonou Task Force   Trade Union Movement Contribution