ETUC criticises Commission over attack on minimum wage

Slovenia

The ETUC has written to Council and Commission presidents Van Rompuy and Barroso to protest over EU calls for a cut in the minimum wage. The current minimum wage is €599,73, lower than the at risk-of poverty threshold. ETUC general secretary Bernadette Ségol said: “What does the EU hope to achieve by bringing down minimum wages in Slovenia? This step would, inevitably, lead to an increase in the number of working poor in this country. These types of measures are unfair and ineffective and only increase the distance between the EU and its citizens; they do not restore growth; they do not increase employment; they increase downwards competition.”
Read more at > ETUC
And in French at > CES

More like this

May. 15, 2015

ETUC criticises recommendations on wages

Europe

In reacting to this year's draft country-specific recommendations the ETUC has expressed disappointment that the European Commission remains reluctant to give any real encouragement to increased wages. ETUC general secretary Bernadette Ségol said: “The Commission continues to overlook the fact that wages in a twenty three member states are lagging behind productivity. The Commission fails to identify, or react to, the redistribution from wages to profits. Europe needs a wage rise for fairness and to increase demand, mainly by strengthening collective bargaining.” [Read more at > ETUC/CES (EN

 S
Jan. 06, 2010

Confederations criticise minimum wage increase

Spain

The CCOO and UGT trade union confederations have criticised the government for increasing the minimum wage by only 1.5% in 2010. They believe this calls into question the government’s commitment to achieve a €800 minimum wage by 2012. The rate will have to be increased by nearly 28% in just two years in order for the €800 target to be reached. The confederations support the idea that the level of the minimum wage should be at least 60% of average earnings. [Read more at > CCOO ES)->http://www.fsc.ccoo.es/webfsc/menu.do?Inicio:70476] [And at > UGT (ES)->http://www.ugt.es/actualidad/2009

 S
Jul. 03, 2006

Unions attack inadequate rise in minimum wage

France

Unions have criticised the 3.05% increase in the minimum wage - the SMIC - as being too low. The increase takes the hourly SMIC to €8.27 and the monthly figure to €1,254.28 for a 35-hour week. The SMIC increases each year in line with inflation and an index of workers' pay. This year the minimum increase required by law was 2.85% but the government added a discretionary 0.3%. [Read more at > CGT (FR)->http://www.cgt.fr/internet/html/lire/?id_doc=4248] [Read more at > FO (FR)->http://www.force-ouvriere.fr/index.asp?lk=e&id=449&theme_choisi=Org.%20-%20Conventions%20collec.] [Read more at > CFDT-

 S