European Economic and Social Committee
The Workers' Group of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) expresses its full solidarity and support to all Belgian workers taking part in the general strike on 29 March and their trade union confederations. We stand with Belgian workers taking action to defend their right to decent pay, including higher minimum wages for the lowest paid workers.
The European Commission's proposal for a directive on adequate minimum wages has sparked controversy among member states and social partners alike across Europe. This controversy is mirrored within the EESC, which adopted this week an opinion favourable to the directive.
Does it make sense nowadays to celebrate the 8th of March as International Women’s Day? It’s been over 110 years since Clara Zetkin proposed to establish Working Women’s day, and more that 40 years since the United Nations declared the International Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace. Societies have evolved in the past century. Women can vote, have their own passports, study, become Prime Ministers, go to the moon, decide if and when to get married and/or have kids, women and men are equal before the law. So, what’s the point? The point is that even though on the surface everything looks right, we still have underlying social, cultural and legal barriers that prevent women from thriving.
Today the European Commission has published the Action Plan on how to implement the European Pillar of Social Rights. 'The EESC Workers' Group welcomes the proposal and hopes very much that it will deliver social progress. The Action Plan for the EPSR must have concrete and ambitious short, medium, and long terms measures and legislative initiatives, as well as a sufficient budget', said Oliver Röpke, President of the EESC Workers' Group.
APPEAL TO THE EPSCO COUNCIL MINISTERS
Make the European Pillar of Social Rights to materialize in tangible rights
Climate protection and the pandemic have placed the State and Governments in a strong position. The European Commission has received a mandate from the governments of all EU member states to achieve climate neutrality for Europe by 2050 with the Green Deal, and to successfully lead the economy out of the Covid-19 crisis. A dynamic change of course is necessary. To protect workers during this transformation process, their rights have to be highlighted and enshrined as a special pillar at EU level.
Rapid deployment of COVID-19 vaccines to all and in particular vulnerable people is crucial to saving lives and preventing health services from being completely overwhelmed
It is time to translate the principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR) into action, and Europe needs a new social contract for the future. This is the key message of the webinar on the Action Plan to implement the European Pillar of Social Rights and the Social Summit. The event was organised by the Workers' Group at the European Economic and Social Committee.
