Rising hate caused by the politics of division require the European Commission to move from words to action when it comes to combating racism in the world of work, trade unions say after today's launch of the new EU anti-racism strategy.
Workplace measures to address racism have been targeted by the Trump administration, which sent letters to European companies, asking them to prove that they comply with an executive order banning diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) schemes.
Trade unions are the first point of contact for people who experience discrimination at work. The strategy includes a number of measures targeted at the workplace, including to address racial discrimination through employment and recruitment practices or through the application of AI tools at work. It also provides opportunities for promoting inclusive workplaces as well as training and awareness. The implementation of these measures must reinforce the capacity of workers and their unions to bargain for and enforce equality measures.
With the new 2026–2030 strategy being launched against an increasing dangerous international environment, unions say it must represent a real turning point. Europe needs decisive policies, capable of addressing racism as a structural problem that cuts across work, education, housing, public services and political discourse - and a horizontal anti-discrimination directive is needed to ensure the effectiveness of the actions included in the strategy.
The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) calls on the Commission for:
- Strong enhancement of the capacity of social partners at workplace and company levels to bargain for equality.
- Enhanced support to trade unions as actors towards a welcoming society based on equality and solidarity, including at local level;
- A move from a strategy of principles to a strategy of results, with measurable objectives and clear accountability mechanisms;
- Leaders to challenge narratives that link migration to insecurity and social decline.
ETUC Confederal Secretary Giulio Romani said:
“Strong and independent unions are key to addressing discrimination in the world of work. It is vital that the implementation of this strategy enhances unions’ capacity to take action to address concrete cases of injustice.
“Over the past five years, the European Union has taken important steps at political and institutional level. However, the evidence shows that these advances have been only partially implemented across Member States and have, in most cases, not yet translated into tangible change in people’s everyday lives.
“During the same period, Europe has witnessed a growing political instrumentalisation of migration. The increasingly polarised public discourse have contributed to normalising the idea that immigration is a threat, rather than a social and economic reality that must be governed through inclusive, rights-based policies.
“The ETUC states this clearly: it is not migrant workers who drive down wages, but the attacks by politicians and employers on workers’ rights to collective bargaining that have created social dumping and extreme precariousness. As clearly emerged during the TUAD and FairForward trade union projects, without decent work, fair wages, rights, and protection in health and safety, any strategy against discrimination risks remaining on paper.
“We are glad to see a number of ETUC demands have been taken on board. There is a more concrete approach to anti-discrimination with respect to fundamental rights to housing or social protection and a greater focus of the intersectional dimension of discrimination. However, more is needed to equip workers and their unions with the tools to really address discrimination when it occurs.
“With the new 2026–2030 Strategy, the European Union has the opportunity to show that anti-racism is not just a statement of values, but a concrete political choice for social cohesion and European democracy.”
