The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) and its research institute ETUI presented the annual report “Benchmarking Working Europe 2018” at an event hosted by AK EUROPA and the Brussels Office of the Austrian Trade Union Federation (ÖGB). The report shows that in spite of the slight recovery of European economic and working world, even in the tenth year after the economic and financial crisis it is still not standing on firm ground.

This week (21 March 2018), the leading European Parliament's Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) has rejected the proposal on a Services e-card. This is an important success, as the draft law would have contributed even further to wage and social dumping in the EU. Right from the start, the Chamber of Labour had pointed out that the Services e-card does not generate any added value but would promote bogus self-employment and the setting-up of letterbox companies.

Ten months after the publication of the first Mobility Package “Europe on the Move”, the negotiations on the dossiers in the Committee on Transport and Tourism are entering into the decisive phase. The draft reports for the eight dossiers have been submitted and the deadline for tabling amendments has expired. Now, report and shadow rapporteurs are working on possible compromise amendments to find majority for the planned vote in May. However, with regard to social legislation, the positions are still far apart.

Launch of the ETUI/ETUC Benchmarking Working Europe 2018 report

This week (13.3.2018), Marianne Thyssen, Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility, presented the eagerly awaited Social Fairness Package in Strasbourg. Apart from its core piece, the Commission Proposal for a European Labour Authority, the Package also includes a Proposal on Council recommendations on access to social security.

A new European Labour Authority

Last week (1.3.2018), Employment Commissioner Thyssen talked about a “ground-breaking agreement” and a “new phase of fair regulations in the Single Market”, when she presented the preliminary agreement on the Posting of Workers Directive together with the co-Rapporteurs of the EU Parliament Morin-Chartier and Jongerius as well as the Bulgarian Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Affairs Zornitsa Roussinova. However, only the final legal text will show whether the agreement does indeed represent an effective improvement in the fight against wage and social dumping.

An annual collective volume – published by the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) and the European Social Observatory (OSE) – analyses the state of development of social policy in the European Union. This week (5.3.2018), the current volume, to be published on May 18, was presented in the European Parliament, whereby selected contributions in the book concerning Brexit, the European Semester as well as the work-life balance were discussed.