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Judith Kirton-Darling

Judith Kirton-Darling is general secretary of industriAll European Trade Union. She was a British member of the European Parliament between 2014 and 2020 and confederal secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation.

Europe’s Industrial Crisis: Invest Now or Accept Decline

Judith Kirton-Darling and Isabelle Barthès

Across 18 sectors, only aerospace and defence remain globally competitive—Europe must abandon naivety and act decisively.

Europe Needs Active Demand Management, Not Business As Usual

Judith Kirton-Darling and Isabelle Barthès

As tariff wars and industrial crises mount, Europe must abandon austerity for investment-driven internal demand.

Europe’s Collective Defence Depends on Economic Security and Social Stability

Judith Kirton-Darling

As EU leaders prioritise military spending, millions of industrial workers face austerity and job losses amid Europe's growing polycrisis.

Europe Needs an Ambitious Clean Industrial Deal with a Strong Social Heart

Judith Kirton-Darling and Isabelle Barthès

Europe must act now to secure industrial jobs, ensure a Just Transition, and strengthen social conditions.

Austerity déjà vu: the return of the wrong economic medicine

Judith Kirton-Darling and Isabelle Barthès

The EU faces a stark choice: invest boldly in a sustainable, competitive future or risk repeating the mistakes of austerity.

Draghi report: a social agenda is lacking

Judith Kirton-Darling and Isabelle Barthès

The report on European ‘competitiveness’ is good on industrial strategy but poor from a social perspective.

Another, reindustrialised Europe is possible

Judith Kirton-Darling

The far right offers no answers to the challenges Europe faces in reinvigorating its industry amid the digital and green transitions.

No ‘business as usual’ for European industry

Judith Kirton-Darling

The choices EU leaders make in the coming years will determine whether European industry has a long-term future.

EU funds need stronger social conditionality

Claes-Mikael Ståhl, Judith Kirton-Darling, Jan Willem Goudriaan, Kristjan Bragason and Oliver Roethig

The rules for allocation of EU funds should be more transparent and provide a meaningful role for the social partners.

Anticipating the Covid-19 restructuring tsunami

Judith Kirton-Darling and Isabelle Barthès

There’s time to avoid the carnage of employer-led restructuring following the pandemic—but only if workers and unions set the agenda.

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Spring Issues

Read the new book “Algorithmic rule”!”

The future is not simply digital; it is algorithmic. Read the new book “Algorithmic rule”, edited by Maja Fjaestad and Simon Vinge.
The book explores what can be described as algocracy – rule by algorithms.
We need a progressive algorithmic future – an alternative that resists surrendering sovereignty to Big Tech. Transparency is essential, but it is not enough; the deeper challenge is to ensure that citizens and workers themselves influence the algorithms that govern them.

This book is part of the FEPS–Nordic Digital Programme.

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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. Most EU countries are now following the reference values for adequate minimum wages enshrined in the European Minimum Wage Directive, which are 60% of the median wage or 50% of the average wage.

DOWNLOAD THE REPORT

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Cohesion Policy

S&D Position Paper on Cohesion Policy post-2027: a resilient future for European territorial equity

Cohesion Policy seeks to foster balanced development and reduce economic, social, and territorial disparities, focusing on rural areas, regions in industrial transition, and those with severe or permanent natural or demographic disadvantages, including outermost, sparsely populated, island, cross-border, and mountain regions.

READ THE PAPER HERE

S&D Group in the European Parliament advertisement

Health

🇪🇺 Building a Resilient, Equitable EU Health Union: The S&D Blueprint


From securing pharmaceutical autonomy and guaranteeing universal access to care (the European Health Guarantee) to combatting non-communicable diseases and closing the Gender Health Gap. Read the S&D Group in the European Parliament Position Paper demanding that health becomes a priority across all EU policies.

READ THE POSITION PAPER

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HESA Magazine Cover

Back to school with HesaMag 30: the leading European magazine on occupational safety and health explores teachers’ deteriorating working conditions. With field reporting, expert voices and trade union analysis, plus insights into EU policy shifts, discover why teachers’ health is key to our future.

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Eurofound advertisement

Ageing workforce
Virtual event - Skills and jobs: How SMEs go digital

The 25 million SMEs in the EU drive growth, innovation, jobs, and digitalisation. Embracing digital technology can boost efficiency, market reach, and support climate and social goals. To celebrate their 50th anniversary, Cedefop and Eurofound will host a joint virtual event, presenting research on digitalisation policies and the state of digital SMEs in Europe. The event will explore challenges, support measures, and how digitalisation affects job quality, including the role of algorithmic management in work organisation and conditions.

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