The Federal Chamber of Labour (BAK) in principal welcomes the approach laid out in the proposal for the improvement of the European Social Fund+ in the Multiannual Financial Framework. However, the concrete plans of the European Commission don’t seem to reflect this approach in a satisfactory manner. The original ESF will be merged with four other Funds, which will increase its budget in absolute numbers to 101 bn. Euro. But with the increase in tasks for the ESF+ this amounts to a de facto decrease in ESF-budget.

The Austrian EU-Presidency started in the second half of 2018. It was at that time, that the Austrian Trade Union Federation (ÖGB) published a set of very concrete demands addressed to the Presidency. Sadly, social issues were only marginalized in the Presidency`s work programme, while emphasis was put on strengthening the subsidiarity principle or the protection of the external borders. Trade unions are therefore worried about the EU`s tendency to withdraw from its social agenda and the much needed political change.

For years, precarious work has been on the increase in Europe. However, with its proposal for a Directive on Transparent and Predictable Working Conditions, the EU Commission too is pursuing the target to combat the phenomenon of precarious work. However, this would have to be accompanied by redefining the concept of ‘worker’ in EU law in order to be able to cover all working models.

In a well-attended committee room of the European Parliament, AK, ÖGB, ETUC and DGB welcomed trade union representatives and members of the EU Parliament to a panel discussion. The subject matter of the event was the Company Law Package of the European Commission. The debate in particular focused on the impending threat the draft legislation might pose possible to workers’ participation.

The rise of precarious employment relationships poses profound challenges for the scope of protection offered by labour law. In particular, various new forms of employment are characterized by blurring boundaries between the concepts of 'worker' and ‘self-employed’.

Together with ÖGB, DGB and the Friedrich-Ebert Foundation, AK EUROPE organised an evening event on 9 October 2018 to debate the current pension reports “Ageing Report” and “Pension Adequacy Report” by the European Commission. Over 80 people attended a lively expert discussion on the sustainability and adequacy of European Pension systems.

In spring 2018, the EU-Commission published its two key reports on age-related long-term developments: The 2018 Ageing Report and The Pension Adequacy Report.

In the discussion, the report’s main findings on pensions will be analysed against the European Pillar of Social Rights principle that “workers and self-employed in retirement have the right to a pension commensurate to their contributions and ensuring an adequate income”.

On 12 September 2018, a debate took place in the European Parliament in Strasbourg on the subject of “The future of pensions: fighting privatisation and strengthening public universal social security systems”. It was based on the European Commission’s Pension Adequacy Report 2018. The discussion focussed in particular on the Pan-European Personal Pension Product (PEPP), which, however, from the AK’s point of view entails some significant risks.

The first Employment Committee after the summer break (29.8.2018) had two - from an employee point of view extremely important - dossiers on its agenda: the proposal on setting up a European Labour Authority as well as the Directive proposal on transparent and fair working conditions. An exchange with both EP rapporteurs on both dossiers took place against the background of the now available draft reports and amendments.

EU Labour Authority – Almost 1,000 amendments in the Employment Committee

A need to act in order to effectively prevent social dumping does not only exist in road transport; there is also a lot to do in the aviation sector. Strikes took place on Friday 10th August 2018 in various locations of the low-cost airline Ryanair, because pilots and cabin crew wanted to draw attention to the poor working conditions and the lack of willingness to negotiate by the management.