In 2017, the European Commission proclaimed the European Pillar of Social Rights, aimed to ensure equal opportunities and access to the labour market, fair working conditions, and social protection and inclusion in Europe.
The already fragmented labour market is still quickly changing as a result of phenomenons such as the climate change, the digitalization of the working space or major demographic alterations. Traditional jobs are heavily affected by these changes, while new professions – with novel conditions – emerge.
How can the European Union make use of the Social Pillar to protect workers’ rights in this context? How can trade unions cope with the social divide derived from this situation? How can they address the new challenges related to working conditions while protecting traditional workers? Do deals such as the Paris Agreement sufficiently harbour labour rights?
Euractiv examined some of these issues in this Special Report ahead of the event The World(s) of Work in Transition on 27, 28 and 29 June in Brussels.
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Unions defend multilateral cooperation to protect workers’ rights
Over 500 representatives from across Europe gathered in Brussels last week to reflect on how unions can reshape the role of labour markets in a world where multilateral cooperation is in crisis.
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Four megatrends and the future of work
What will workplaces be like in the future? Will I still have a job that I am trained to do, that doesn’t bore or cripple me? When will I retire, and what sort of world will I be leaving for my children? These sorts of questions are preoccupying Europeans more and more, argues Steve Coulter.
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Luca Visentini: “Now independence goes together with no social protection”
For too long, trade unions have failed to anticipate changes in an increasingly volatile labour market. It is time to take a proactive approach and protect workers’ rights, Luca Visentini, secretary-general of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), told EURACTIV.com in an interview.
