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Esther Lynch


Esther Lynch was elected general secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation in December 2022. She has extensive trade union experience at Irish, European and international levels, starting with her election as a shop steward in the 1980s.

Esther Lynch

The European elections: the right lessons to learn

Esther Lynch 9th June 2024

There remains a democratic majority in the European Parliament to tackle the economic and social insecurity fuelling populism.

A warning to Scrooges: cut long working hours

Esther Lynch 21st December 2023

A right to disconect, collective bargaining and public procurement are the levers to reduce excessive working hours.

The shadow of austerity—and authoritarianism

Esther Lynch 12th December 2023

European trade unions are mobilising today in Brussels against the austerity which would follow reimplanted fiscal rules.

Europe needs a social compass

Esther Lynch 4th May 2023

Europe is undergoing multiple transitions. For these to succeed, social dialogue to build consensus will be essential.

A message for May Day: come together, win change

Esther Lynch 1st May 2023

Workers are under tremendous pressure amid the cost-of-living crisis. But trade unions are showing resilience to inspire.

Trade unions on the frontline in the cost-of-living crisis

Esther Lynch 7th September 2022

Defending workers’ living standards has become trade unions’ primary concern.

The courage to change

Esther Lynch 21st July 2021

Europe’s trade union and Christian business leaders appeal jointly for a new economic and social order after the pandemic.

A ‘vision zero’ goal for accidents at work

Esther Lynch 24th June 2021

There are no acceptable levels of workplace fatalities—a focus on prevention is needed.

Time to put an end to union-busting

Esther Lynch 25th January 2021

Trade union rights are human rights and must be protected in EU law.

Fair wages are key to Europe’s recovery

Esther Lynch 20th October 2020

Ensuring a high wage floor in the EU is not just the right thing to do to lift the low paid but is integral to recovery from the pandemic.

Making work fit for workers after Covid-19

Esther Lynch 24th September 2020

The welfare state sought to protect workers from labour-market risks. After Covid-19, reduced working time and greater autonomy must be on the agenda.

How digitalisation must be harnessed to save jobs

Esther Lynch 29th July 2020

A framework agreement between the social partners should ensure job security and worker involvement are prioritised across the European Union.

Calling time on violence against women in the workplace

Esther Lynch 25th November 2019

On International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, over 50 female union leaders urge stronger action by the incoming European Commission.

Tackling insecure work in Europe—a critical moment

Esther Lynch 16th January 2019

The good news is that employment in the EU is at a record high. The bad news is that so much of it is insecure work—and a directive currently in train needs to be tough enough to fix that. Europe has a growing crisis of insecure work. Just before Christmas, the European Commission triumphantly announced that […]

Trade Unions On Frontline In Battle Against Inequality

Esther Lynch 21st December 2017

The European Commission continues to talk about robust recovery, but with wages falling or stagnating, many people in Europe are worse off than they were a decade ago. The European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions has recently reported that more than half the population in 11 EU Member States has difficulty […]

If Europe Takes Trade Union Rights For Granted… We Risk Losing Them

Esther Lynch 9th May 2016

Why, in 2016, has the European Trade Union Confederation found it necessary to start ringing alarm bells in defence of basic trade union rights in the EU? The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, agreed in 1948 as a reaction to the horrors of the Second World War, states: “Everyone has the right to form and […]

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Ageing workforce
How are minimum wage levels changing in Europe?

In a new Eurofound Talks podcast episode, host Mary McCaughey speaks with Eurofound expert Carlos Vacas Soriano about recent changes to minimum wages in Europe and their implications.

Listeners can delve into the intricacies of Europe's minimum wage dynamics and the driving factors behind these shifts. The conversation also highlights the broader effects of minimum wage changes on income inequality and gender equality.

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Spring Issues

The Spring issue of The Progressive Post is out!


Since President Trump’s inauguration, the US – hitherto the cornerstone of Western security – is destabilising the world order it helped to build. The US security umbrella is apparently closing on Europe, Ukraine finds itself less and less protected, and the traditional defender of free trade is now shutting the door to foreign goods, sending stock markets on a rollercoaster. How will the European Union respond to this dramatic landscape change? .


Among this issue’s highlights, we discuss European defence strategies, assess how the US president's recent announcements will impact international trade and explore the risks  and opportunities that algorithms pose for workers.


READ THE MAGAZINE

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WSI Report

WSI Minimum Wage Report 2025

The trend towards significant nominal minimum wage increases is continuing this year. In view of falling inflation rates, this translates into a sizeable increase in purchasing power for minimum wage earners in most European countries. The background to this is the implementation of the European Minimum Wage Directive, which has led to a reorientation of minimum wage policy in many countries and is thus boosting the dynamics of minimum wages. Most EU countries are now following the reference values for adequate minimum wages enshrined in the directive, which are 60% of the median wage or 50 % of the average wage. However, for Germany, a structural increase is still necessary to make progress towards an adequate minimum wage.

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The Politics of Unpaid Work

This new book published by Oxford University Press presents the findings of the multiannual ERC research project “Researching Precariousness Across the Paid/Unpaid Work Continuum”,
led by Valeria Pulignano (KU Leuven), which are very important for the prospects of a more equal Europe.

Unpaid labour is no longer limited to the home or volunteer work. It infiltrates paid jobs, eroding rights and deepening inequality. From freelancers’ extra hours to care workers’ unpaid duties, it sustains precarity and fuels inequity. This book exposes the hidden forces behind unpaid labour and calls for systemic change to confront this pressing issue.

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What kind of impact is artificial intelligence (AI) having, or likely to have, on the way we work and the conditions we work under? Discover the latest issue of HesaMag, the ETUI’s health and safety magazine, which considers this question from many angles.

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