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Oliver Roethig

Oliver Roethig heads UNI Europa, the European service workers’ union.

Homecare and domestic workers deserve better

Oliver Roethig and Kristjan Bragason

A survey shows an alarming malaise in a sector heavily dominated by women and migrant workers.

employers,workers,wages,labour market,collective bargaining

When too few employers means too low wages

Stan De Spiegelaere and Oliver Roethig

Collective bargaining can redress the vulnerability of workers who find themselves in a buyers’ labour market.

Amazon: call to ban its lobbyists backed

Bram Vranken, Oliver Roethig, Margarida Silva and Max Bank

Support is mobilised behind the demand by MEPs that Amazon’s lobbyists be barred from the European Parliament.

Amazon,strikes,protests,workers

Worldwide strikes, protests—making Amazon pay

Oliver Roethig

The monopoly online retailer has extracted vast rents from workers and citizens who are raising their voices globally.

collective bargaining,Romania

Collective bargaining: Romania shows the way

Oliver Roethig and Stan De Spiegelaere

Romania’s recent law strengthening collective bargaining offers a way forward for the European Union.

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.

Euronews: public-interest journalism in jeopardy

Oliver Roethig and Ricardo Gutierrez

Workers and their unions are today sounding the alarm for media independence at the heart of Europe.

finance,pension funds,due diligence,human rights,companies,European Commission,directive

Setting human-rights due diligence back on track

Oliver Roethig

A carve-out for the finance sector would water down the ambition of the EU’s human-rights due-diligence legislation.

Achieving wage justice in Europe

Oliver Roethig

Making public contracts for private firms conditional on collective agreements can help stem the falling labour share.

Reversing the procurement race to the bottom

Oliver Roethig and Stan De Spiegelaere

Companies must be denied contracts if they refuse to respect workers’ rights.

Workplace, public space: workers organising in the age of facial recognition

Oliver Roethig and Diego Naranjo

‘Surveillance capitalism’ is increasingly threatening workers’ collective action and the human right to public protest.

Public procurement: ending the race to the bottom on workers’ conditions

Oliver Roethig

On International Workers’ Memorial Day, it’s worth remembering that when workers don’t have a say they may lose more than their voice.

Collective bargaining—a legal right unrecognised in Ireland

Oliver Roethig

The EU recovery plan must link company bailouts to enforcement of collective-bargaining rights.

Resilience in the corona crisis—strongest where workers enjoy collective power

Oliver Roethig

It may not have been thought of as an antidote to the coronavirus but collective bargaining is protecting workers’ health and security against its ravages.

Foundation for European Progressive Studies Advertisement

Spring Issues

Join the conference “Healthy mind, stronger Europe”

On World Mental Health Day, 10 October, join us for the conference “Healthy mind, stronger Europe”, where we’ll put forward real, progressive solutions.
Despite growing awareness of its impact on all our lives, mental health has yet to gain the momentum it deserves in EU policymaking. The latest EU budget and Commission mandate still fall short on policy work on mental health that reflects progressive values - including gender mainstreaming.
Bringing together policymakers, practitioners, academics and civil society, this event presents the results of three expert groups that have been working on concrete recommendations.

REGISTER

Hans Böckler Stiftung Advertisement

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

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Cohesion Policy


In a context of growing direct employee voice in workplace innovation processes, the BroadVoice project explored how worker representatives and industrial relations can play a role in these dynamics. Based on a two-year study in 24 workplaces across six European countries, this comparative report, edited by Vassil Kirov (IPS-BAS) and Ilaria Armaroli (ADAPT), highlights the evolving contours of workplace democracy shaped by the involvement of worker representation in employee-driven innovation.

READ THE REPORT HERE

ETUI advertisement

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.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Eurofound advertisement

Ageing workforce
Is Europe’s mental health still in crisis?

New Eurofound research reveals a complex picture of mental health in Europe post-pandemic. While some factors show improvement, concerning trends persist, including an alarming halt to the decades-long decline in suicide rates. A new episode of the Eurofound Talks podcast explores these issues, highlighting that vulnerable groups are being disproportionately affected. It also discusses how significant barriers to mental healthcare—such as stigma and long waiting lists—are leaving many without vital support.
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