Workers in two thirds of EU member states are receiving a smaller share of their country’s GDP than they were at the beginning of the decade, official figures show.
European Commission statistics show wage share – a key indicator of inequality - has fallen in 18 member states between 2010 and 2019.
Ireland saw the biggest fall in the percentage of GDP paid out in wages at 19%*, ahead of Croatia (11), Cyprus (6), Portugal (5) and Malta (5).
Responding to the European Commission’s review of economic governance, ETUC General Secretary Luca Visentini said:
“Trade unions welcome this review of economic governance as an opportunity to draw a line under a decade of harmful austerity and begin a positive programme of investment and upward convergence of working and living conditions that will make Europe fairer for working people by delivering sustainable growth, social cohesion and a socially just transition to a green economy.
The ETUC welcomes the European Commission’s commitment to continuing and reinforcing the enlargement process but regrets the lack of clear focus on social objectives in the enlargement process
The pay packets* of workers in 6 EU countries is lower on average than ten years ago. In a further 3 EU countries wages have been almost frozen over the last decade.
New figures by the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI)** show that average pay packets in Italy, Spain, Greece, Portugal, Croatia and Cyprus were lower in 2019 than in 2010.
Average pay packets, adjusted for inflation (and including social security contributions and pay benefits), went down 2010-19 by:
Commenting on the publication of the European Commission’s work programme for 2020, ETUC General Secretary Luca Visentini said:
“Ambitious social policies are needed to rebuild trust with working people after the financial crisis. The work programme contains several positive initiatives, including a commitment to define an action plan for the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights, and to deliver an Unemployment Reinsurance Scheme, a European Gender Equality Strategy and binding pay transparency measures.
People earning the statutory minimum wage are at risk of poverty in most EU member states, the latest official data shows.
Twenty-two EU member states have a statutory national minimum wage and the majority fail to meet even the minimal at risk-of-poverty wage threshold of 60% of the median wage. In 10 member states, the statutory minimum is 50% or less of the national median wage.
Commenting on the Resolution adopted by the European Parliament on the upcoming Conference on the Future of Europe, ETUC General Secretary Luca Visentini said: “We welcome the resolution and the excellent work done by the European Parliament in preparation of the Conference on the Future of Europe.
“The Conference should pave the way for a fairer European Union which can provide all its citizens and workers with good quality and well-paid jobs, quality education and training and proper social protection.
Commenting on the European Commission’s Communication ‘A strong social Europe for just transitions’ ETUC Confederal Secretary Liina Carr said:
“We welcome the proposal of the European Commission to present next year an ‘Action Plan that turns the rights and principles enshrined in the Pillar into reality’, to ‘upgrade Europe’s social market economy … and ensure just transitions for all’ and to emphasise job creation.
Commenting on the publication of the European Commission’s proposal for the establishment of a Just Transition Mechanism, ETUC Confederal Secretary Ludovic Voet said:
“A socially just transition is essential to winning the support and confidence of working people for the major changes to the economy that are needed to save the planet from climate change. The European Commission’s proposals are important and much-needed.
Responding on the launch of the European Commission’s initiative on fair minimum wages, ETUC General Secretary Luca Visentini said: “It is encouraging that the European Commission recognises that the situation of low wage workers has worsened and wage inequalities have increased. With real wages still lower than a decade ago in many member states despite improved economic performance, action to tackle Europe’s low pay problem is overdue.”
"It is with great sadness that we learned that our colleague and friend Claudio Stanzani passed away yesterday. He dedicated his life to the trade union movement in Italy and Europe. We will be always grateful to him for his passionate and successful work at the ETUC. On behalf of the ETUC I would like to express condolences to his family and beloved" said Luca Visentini, General Secretary of European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC).
