Workers' rights - Free movement, fair movement

The EESC Workers' Group will tackle Sustainability, its social dimension and labour mobility in Europe

The Workers' Group of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), headed by its President, Oliver Röpke, will hold an extraordinary meeting in Helsinki, Finland, the country currently holding the rotating EU presidency, on "Sustainability, the social dimension and labour mobility in Europe". These are priority themes of the Finnish Presidency: representatives of the Finnish government have therefore been invited to the meeting.

For the EESC Workers' Group, a sustainable Single Market must prevent social dumping and guarantee equal pay for equal work at the same place. The debate will focus on how labour mobility can be legally and fairly regulated to foster mutual trust within the EU. To this end, different aspects of labour mobility and its significance for different categories of workers will be explored, with contributions from representatives of Finnish and European Trade Union organisations and various academics.

The European Commission work programme for 2019-2024 will also be discussed. The next few months will be decisive in engaging with the newly elected European Parliament and Commission, in order to strengthen their commitment towards workers and social fairness in a European Union that aspires to strive for more.