ETUC reacts to Commission recommendations on wages

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

The ETUC organised a summer school for its collective bargaining committee in Florence on 10-11 June where participants agreed a statement urging the European Council not to adopt any of the European Commission's country-specific recommendations on wages. The meeting agreed that the Commission's approach continues to be to repress wage developments despite the risk of deflation and continuing recession and with no regard for the impact on living standards and equality. The meeting also discussed proposals for how the ETUC could coordinate around the European Semester. [Read more at > EPSU-

In December the European Commission published a proposal for a Council Recommendation on a Quality Framework for Traineeships. The aim is to enable trainees to acquire high-quality work experience under safe and fair conditions, and to increase their chances of finding a good quality job. The Commission says that currently one in three traineeships is substandard with regard to working conditions or learning content. In March last year, EPSU and the other social partners agreed a joint statement on the Commission's consultation on a quality framework. [Read more at > European Commission (EN/FR