Review of the ETUC priorities to implement the European Pillar of Social Rights

Review of the ETUC priorities to implement the European Pillar of Social Rights

The ETUC Executive Committee is asked to take note of the document at the following link: DRAFT ETUC REVISED priorities for the implementation of the EPSR

The EPSR was adopted in 2015. In these 7 years the world has deeply changed. The EU faced and is facing unprecedent challenges such as the sanitarian crisis, a war that directly threatens its geographical and political integrity, and the raising of anti-democratic regimes that deteriorate the global geopolitical landscape, including a breakdown of global trade and disintegration of well-established supply chains.

A lot remains to do to make the EPSR and its Action plan a policy driver for national policies. It is important that all member states will take factual measures to achieve the Porto’s Targets on employment, training/education and fight against poverty. In this regard the ETUC proposals, fed by national trade unions, are crucial to ensure a prompt and progressive move toward such targets.

 The ETUC is also contributing to the policy design with regular reports on the RRF implementation and in the framework of the European Semester. REPowerEU must be an opportunity to more consistently respect and implement the European Pillar of Social Rights and integrate the EPSR Action Plan into national Recovery and Resilience Plans, in order to create stable and quality jobs; to reduce inequalities; narrow the gender employment and pay gaps by reinforcing work-life balance; and provide protection for all workers in their workplace.

As Member States have time until 30th April  2023 to submit proposals to adapt their NRRPs to REPowerEU we recommend ETUC members to immediately submit request to be consulted.

Social dialogue is the cornerstone of the Recovery Plan creating ownership for reforms and investment, to ensure that labour transitions are fairer and that the recovery is a People’s Recovery. Collective bargaining is key to provide for efficient employment and social outcomes when responding to current and future challenges which are directly aimed at fulfilling people’s essential needs, and towards ensuring better enactment and implementation of social rights.

Presenting 100 proposals to implement the EPSR, the ETUC wanted to stress that without a strong social anchorage, the costs of such economic turbulences will be transferred to workers, e.g., loss of purchasing power of wages, raising inequalities, high interest rates, super-inflation and tax evasion. Such proposals need to be regularly revisited and adapted to fast changing socio-economic conditions.

All ETUC proposals are accessible on a dedicated website est1.etuc.org. The document in annex highlights changes that will be brought on the website as outcome of a common work done with ETUC members from July 2022 to January 2023.

The review process will continue on annual basis and will take into account the Action Programme that will be adopted in Berlin in May 2023.