On Tuesday 11 February, the European Committee of Social Rights (ECSR), the main monitoring body of the Council of Europe European Social Charter, decided - on a complaint submitted by Italian union CGIL against the Italian government (No. 158/2017) - that the right to protection in cases of termination of employment was violated by Italian law.

Migration - ETUC letter to Members of the European Parliament    

The European Trade Union Confederation represents 45 million workers from 90 national trade unions in 38 European countries and 10 European sectoral trade union federations. It presents the following priorities for the new mandate of the EU institutions, particularly the new Commission’s Work Programme and strategic agenda for the next five years.

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

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.

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,

The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) has instituted an award to honour the outstanding and dynamic scientific work, of great value to the European trade union movement, of the late labour law Professor Brian Bercusson: the ETUC Brian Bercusson Award. Through this Award, the ETUC and the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) support academic research that deepens understanding and promotes transnational workers’ rights in Europe.

Brussels, 5 March 2018 ETUC assessment on Commission’s non paper on Trade and Sustainable Development (TSD) chapters in EU Free Trade Agreements