About: labour market reform

Commission wants EU Labour Authority to open by 2019

The European Commission wants to set up a new EU agency to oversee cross-border labour disputes and manage the growing number of people who travel within the bloc for work. The agency would receive a budget of €50 million and open before the current Commission’s term ends next year.

No future of work without social innovation

Futureproof labour markets must embed social innovation, writes Denis Pennel.

Legislators weigh options to enforce growing number of EU labour rules

A recent uptick in EU legislation on social issues has sparked disagreement between member states on controversial files to regulate labour rules across the bloc. Now legislators are trying to hammer out a way to enforce the growing number of rules.

Don’t let criminals ruin European mobility

As the EU Social Summit for Fair Jobs and Growth opens in Gothenburg, Norway is inviting the European Union to strengthen cross-border collaboration to stop the networks that illegally exploit workers, distort competition and undermine social structures, writes Erna Solberg.

Commission wants new EU labour authority to crack down on worker abuse

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker wants to set up a new EU institution to monitor how labour law is applied in member states. The Commission will outline its plans for the supervisory authority by the end of 2018.

Brussels welcomes French labour reforms as unions and left camp complain

Decried by the opposition and trade unions, the French labor reforms are praised by the European Commission and employers. EURACTIV France reports.

Estonian minister: The digital economy needs more social Europe

There needs to be an EU-wide solution to precarious app economy jobs, said Estonian Labour and Health Minister Jevgeni Ossinovski in an interview with EURACTIV.com.

Macron: Germany is competitive thanks to eurozone weaknesses

Ahead of Thursday’s (13 July) Franco-German Ministerial Council, Friday’s Bastille Day celebrations and Donald Trump’s visit to Paris, President Emmanuel Macron spoke to EURACTIV’s partner Ouest-France about Europe's future, and France’s relations with the US.

Fillon, Macron and Le Pen attempt to win over business leaders

France’s leading presidential candidates yesterday (28 March) aimed to rally business leaders behind their programmes for social reform, increased competitiveness, education and globalisation. EURACTIV’s partner La Tribune reports.

Top business lobby unveils economic wish list ahead of French election

France’s biggest business group has sent its “blue book” to all the presidential candidates, summing up the economic and social demands it says must be met to relaunch economic growth and rebuild business “confidence”. Euractiv’s partner La Tribune reports.

Redefining Work: The role of freelancers

The nature of work and the ways it gets done is evolving rapidly. Public policies and the business sector need to be ahead of change, and provide more targeted support to workers transitioning from employment to freelancing and back, writes Marco Torregrossa.

OECD: France must reform labour market and cut spending

Labour market rigidity and excessive public spending are among the issues holding back France’s economic recovery, according to an OECD report. EURACTIV France reports. 

Italy’s prime minister wins labour reform confidence vote

Matteo Renzi won the most important parliamentary confidence vote of his eight-month-old government early on Thursday (8 October), on a labour reform proposal he hopes will boost his EU credentials.

French employers call for tough job market reforms

France should scrap its 35 hour work week, raise the legal retirement age and lower the minimum wage if it hopes to bring down chronically high unemployment and stimulate growth, the country's main employer group Medef, said on Wednesday (24 September).

Temp chief: Workers face ‘a la carte’ employment

The European labour market is being overhauled in a thorough 'individualist' revolution that is moving workers away from fixed-term contracts and towards collaboration and subordination, argues Denis Pennel.

Employers single out 12 ways to boost job growth

Asking for labour market reform to spur competitiveness, BusinessEurope has identified a number of ready-to-use actions that could bring Europe back to work and lead the 27-country bloc closer to its strategic goal of raising the employment rate from 68 to 75%.