“High employment rates and signs of improvement for the youth”, this is how the European Commission advertises the current Quarterly Report on Employment and Social Developments in the EU. The Commission far too often paints a too rosy picture of the economic and social development in Europe. However, from the AK’s point of view, additional efforts have to be made at European level to ensure that the increased growth and employment rates also improve people’s working and living conditions. 

The Austrian Chamber of Labour has always in a number of ways advocated a trade policy in the interests of workers. Fair supply chains, high and enforceable social and environmental standards, the exemption of public services and the rejection of questionable trade agreements such as those between the EU and Mercosur or the EU and Chile - all of these are and have been important issues in recent years. Now the candidates for the EU Parliament can be asked to make an election pledge in favour of a fair EU trade policy. We invite you to take part.

How can investments (co-)funded by the EU be linked to social criteria? What implications do political measures have on income distribution? How can these be measured? These were some of the questions discussed at an event organised by the Belgian Council Presidency. During three sessions, interesting approaches such as the Do No Significant Harm principle were presented.

Since 2018, AK has contributed to the analysis of prosperity and well-being in Austria with its AK Well-being Report (AK-Wohlstandsbericht). Austria's social and economic progress is analysed on the basis of the modified "magic polygon" of a well-being oriented economic policy from the perspective of an institution representing the interests of employees. There are five overarching goals and six sub-goals for each of them. The five goals are: Fairly distributed material prosperity, Full employment and decent work, Quality of life, Intact environment, Economic stability.

On 16 April 2024 a Declaration on the Future of the European Pillar of Social Rights was signed in La Hulpe, a suburb of Brussels. It was developed with broad support and is meant to serve as a reference document for the upcoming EU legislative period as well as a commitment to a social Europe. Austria, Sweden and Business Europe were the only ones not to sign.

Future EU enlargements require the involvement of the social partners and a deepening of the social dialogue - both in the EU and in the candidate countries. On 26 March 2024, AK EUROPA and the  EU Office of the Austrian Trade Union Federation (ÖGB) hosted the launch event of the Central European Trade Union Network (CETUN). The discussion focussed on the challenges and opportunities of EU enlargement to include the Western Balkans region. It was agreed that the social dimension must be given greater consideration.

The European Environment Agency's first European climate risk assessment shows that floods, heat and drought fundamentally jeopardise the supply of food and the health of people in Europe, not least workers. Adaptation to man-made climate change must begin now in order to promote climate resilience and enable social and ecological transformation.

Given the political significance of this European election year, the Benchmarking Working Europe Report 2024 provides a retrospective assessment of the state of Social Europe. Important achievements of the past EU legislative period are recognised, but shortcomings are also identified. The report also points out the necessary political steps in the coming EU legislative period to ensure the continuation of the social paradigm shift.

After weeks of tug-of-war, the EU Member States confirmed the EU Supply Chain Act in the Committee of the Permanent Representatives on 15 March 2024. The provisional agreement on the EU ban on products from forced labour was endorsed there on 13 March 2024. The two pieces of legislation still need to be formally adopted by the plenary of the EU Parliament and the Council.

21 member organisations of the European Alliance for a Just Transition have signed a joint letter on an EU policy framework for just transition, with the aim of putting the issue more centre stage in the next EU policy cycle. The letter was sent on 11 March to the relevant ministers and to the Permanent Representatives of the Member States to the EU. They are called on to raise the ambition of the forthcoming Environment Council Conclusions and other relevant decisions in the coming months.