Social Europe

  • EU Forward Project
  • YouTube
  • Podcast
  • Books
  • Newsletter
  • Membership

On May 1st, need for solidarity greater than ever

Luca Visentini 30th April 2022

From Ukraine to the cost-of-living crisis to the pandemic, the social challenges of the moment demand a solidaristic response.

ETUC,trade union,May 1,May Day,solidarity,solidaristic
Now they depend on the support of workers elsewhere—a May Day march in happier times in Kyiv (home for heroes / shutterstock.com)

International Workers’ Day, May 1st, is usually a day for celebration around the world. But in 2022 it takes place under a shadow—the shadow of war in Europe, a crisis in the cost of living for workers and continuing damage to health and employment in the wake of the pandemic. There may seem little to celebrate.

Yet never has the solidarity which lies at the core of trade unionism—the principal theme of May Day—been better demonstrated than by European trade unions’ response to the brutal war in Ukraine. That solidarity and dedication were already in evidence throughout the pandemic. Workers have been at the sharp end of one crisis after another, with job losses, cuts in the value of wages and falling living standards.

The European Union and national governments must now be even more proactive in defending the future of social Europe. Huge investment is needed to ensure a sustainable and inclusive recovery, to guarantee workers’ incomes, achieve a just transition in the move away from Russian oil, gas and coal, and maintain social and environmental standards in the face of unprecedented challenges.

The European Trade Union Confederation has called for emergency measures to reduce energy prices and protect households, jobs and businesses from the impact of sanctions. There must be no return to the disastrous policy of austerity.

Massive mobilisation

The war has prompted a massive trade union mobilisation, with demonstrations for peace, industrial action and spontaneous boycotts of Russian goods and shipping. Unions have launched negotiations with employers and authorities to mitigate the impact of sanctions on workers across Europe and to integrate Ukrainian refugees into national labour markets. Humanitarian support on a vast scale has reached displaced people in Ukraine and the millions of refugees fleeing Putin’s invasion.

Ukrainian unions have opened up their buildings to accommodate thousands of people—with support from Romanian railway workers helping to transport mattresses and bedding into the country. In Poland, unions have established reception and advice centres and offered lodging to hundreds of refugees.

Hungarian and Moldovan unions have set up relief funds, and in Moldova and Slovakia too unions are providing beds free-of-charge in their own hotels and sanitoria. In Lithuania, teachers’ unions are live-streaming history lessons to Ukrainian students, while Greek journalists have dispatched equipment to Ukrainian colleagues struggling to counter Russian lies and to tell the true story of the war.

These are just a few examples of the overwhelming trade union response and opposition to the conflict. At European level, we are fiercely proud of this show of solidarity. The ETUC has been loud and clear in calling for an end to the war and contributing to the humanitarian aid effort.

Rights abused

The world’s eyes are on Ukraine but on May 1st we do not forget people in other countries where workers’ rights are abused. In Belarus, at least 14 trade union leaders and officials were recently detained. In Colombia, trade unionists put their lives at risk and in Brazil the  mismanagement of the pandemic by the president, Jair Bolsonaro, has left vast numbers dead. In Turkey, rampant inflation is causing growing hardship and trade union activities are under attack.

The EU has a responsibility to defend human and workers’ rights globally. That is why the ETUC is fighting for a strong EU law on human-rights due diligence, to ensure that companies operating in Europe respect the rights of workers and trade unions in every country. More is needed than in the European Commission’s proposal, published in February, to involve workers and trade unions in shaping and monitoring strong sustainable business plans, to hold companies accountable and to change their behaviour. Last week was the ninth anniversary of the Rana Plaza disaster in Bangladesh, in which more than 1,000 workers died. Lives must no longer be sacrificed in the interest of profits.

Prices rocketing

In Europe, workers made huge sacrifices to stem the spread of Covid-19. But now, even those who risked their lives in the battle are seeing their living standards plunge, due to the war, the pandemic and the global logistics crisis. Prices are rocketing but wages are not keeping up.

The ETUC is demanding a fairer Europe, with collective bargaining for all and adequate minimum wages. Evidence shows that collective bargaining by trade unions is linked to higher pay. The proposed directive on fair minimum wages must not only put a stop to the growing pay inequality in the majority of EU countries but also require member states to promote and support high levels of collective bargaining, in line with the stance of the European Parliament.

The energy crisis has brought into sharp focus the need for swifter action to phase out fossil fuels and convert to renewable sources. The most recent, alarming evidence underlines that the growing threat of climate change can only be tackled through global solidarity. Trade unions are demanding a socially just transition to a green and climate-friendly economy, emphasising support for those whose communities and livelihoods are most vulnerable.

Equal rights

As trade unionists, we fight for equal rights for men and women. Yet 65 years after the Treaty of Rome enshrined the principle of equal pay, the gender pay gap is still stuck at around 14 per cent. The long-delayed directive on pay transparency can be an important step towards levelling up, but it must apply to all companies and give trade union representatives the tools to take action to end injustice.

Trade unions at European and national levels are also fighting to improve pay and conditions for the growing number of people working for platform companies. Often collaborating across borders, they have challenged the companies’ claims that the workers they manage are self-employed. As a result, many platform workers have gained new rights to security and decent wages and working conditions, and the commission has put forward legislation which should confirm that platform companies are employers.

May 1st 2022 could be a day for reflection as much as celebration. But one thing is sure: the need for trade-union and workers’ solidarity has never been greater.

This column is sponsored by the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC).
Luca Visentini

Luca Visentini is general secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC).

Harvard University Press Advertisement

Social Europe Ad - Promoting European social policies

We need your help.

Support Social Europe for less than €5 per month and help keep our content freely accessible to everyone. Your support empowers independent publishing and drives the conversations that matter. Thank you very much!

Social Europe Membership

Click here to become a member

Most Recent Articles

u42198346761805ea24 2 Trump’s ‘Golden Era’ Fades as European Allies Face Harsh New RealityFerenc Németh and Peter Kreko
u4219834664e04a 8a1e 4ee0 a6f9 bbc30a79d0b1 2 Closing the Chasm: Central and Eastern Europe’s Continued Minimum Wage ClimbCarlos Vacas-Soriano and Christine Aumayr-Pintar
u421983467f bb39 37d5862ca0d5 0 Ending Britain’s “Brief Encounter” with BrexitStefan Stern
u421983485 2 The Future of American Soft PowerJoseph S. Nye
u4219834676d582029 038f 486a 8c2b fe32db91c9b0 2 Trump Can’t Kill the Boom: Why the US Economy Will Roar Despite HimNouriel Roubini

Most Popular Articles

startupsgovernment e1744799195663 Governments Are Not StartupsMariana Mazzucato
u421986cbef 2549 4e0c b6c4 b5bb01362b52 0 American SuicideJoschka Fischer
u42198346769d6584 1580 41fe 8c7d 3b9398aa5ec5 1 Why Trump Keeps Winning: The Truth No One AdmitsBo Rothstein
u421983467 a350a084 b098 4970 9834 739dc11b73a5 1 America Is About to Become the Next BrexitJ Bradford DeLong
u4219834676ba1b3a2 b4e1 4c79 960b 6770c60533fa 1 The End of the ‘West’ and Europe’s FutureGuillaume Duval
u421983462e c2ec 4dd2 90a4 b9cfb6856465 1 The Transatlantic Alliance Is Dying—What Comes Next for Europe?Frank Hoffer
u421983467 2a24 4c75 9482 03c99ea44770 3 Trump’s Trade War Tears North America Apart – Could Canada and Mexico Turn to Europe?Malcolm Fairbrother
u4219834676e2a479 85e9 435a bf3f 59c90bfe6225 3 Why Good Business Leaders Tune Out the Trump Noise and Stay FocusedStefan Stern
u42198346 4ba7 b898 27a9d72779f7 1 Confronting the Pandemic’s Toxic Political LegacyJan-Werner Müller
u4219834676574c9 df78 4d38 939b 929d7aea0c20 2 The End of Progess? The Dire Consequences of Trump’s ReturnJoseph Stiglitz

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. 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.

DOWNLOAD HERE

KU Leuven advertisement

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.

DOWNLOAD HERE FOR FREE

ETUI advertisement

HESA Magazine Cover

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.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Eurofound advertisement

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.

Listen to the episode for free. Also make sure to subscribe to Eurofound Talks so you don’t miss an episode!

LISTEN NOW

Foundation for European Progressive Studies Advertisement

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

Social Europe

Our Mission

Team

Article Submission

Advertisements

Membership

Social Europe Archives

Themes Archive

Politics Archive

Economy Archive

Society Archive

Ecology Archive

Miscellaneous

RSS Feed

Legal Disclosure

Privacy Policy

Copyright

Social Europe ISSN 2628-7641