World of labour
Good jobs in a strong & green economy
IN BRIEF
- Europe faces a deep social, ecological and peace crisis driven by austerity, inequality and militarisation.
- EU economic governance prioritises profits and financial markets over people’s needs.
- The left must break with austerity and redirect money, credit and investment towards jobs, public services and decarbonisation.
- Democratic planning, stronger workers’ rights, and public control over key sectors are essential.
- Peace and co-development require changing Europe’s role in global trade, finance and resource extraction.
Workers & the working class must be at the centre of a new EU
Labour rights are under attack across Europe. In the face of neoliberal regression and the rise of the far right, progressive trade unionism remains a decisive force for democracy, justice, and social protection.
A Regressive Political Landscape in Europe
For decades, globalization was presented as a promise of modernity, growth, and well-being for all. However, the reality is that we are immersed in a profound crisis of meaning: the market became dogma, consumption a liturgy, and efficiency an excuse to undermine decent work, weaken trade unions, and strip the state of its social functions. The economy was subordinated to financial capital, and politics, subjected to the market, rarely responds to the real needs of the majority.
This global context has a concrete expression in Europe. In several countries governed by right-wing or far-right forces, we are witnessing a systematic offensive against labour rights.
The policies implemented — not merely proposed — aim to:
- Extend working hours (as in Greece)
- Regressively reform the pension system (as in France)
- Reinforce contractual precariousness and reduce unemployment benefits (as in Belgium)
These measures directly undermine decent work and threaten the sustainability of welfare systems.
In contrast, countries governed by the left — especially those with a presence of the Party of the European Left (EL), such as Spain and Slovenia — have managed to halt or prevent these regressions, demonstrating that alternative labour policies are possible.
Challenging representative democracies increasingly captured by economic and media interests, new forms of participation are emerging that demand justice, purpose, and citizen control. The defence of labour rights carried out by trade unions cannot be separated from this broader aspiration: to reclaim the public sphere, restore the primacy of life over profit, and build a new social pact that subordinates the economy to ethics.
To reclaim the public sphere, restore the primacy of life over profit, and build a new social pact that subordinates the economy to ethics.
Trade Unions as Society’s Shield: Fighting Xenophobia, Rebuilding Social Protection
The rollback of labour rights in Europe is part of a global economic model in which the financial system prioritises the arms industry over social development. Instead of investing in education, healthcare, or housing, resources are channelled into militarised sectors that yield quick profits. Governments fuel conflicts and indebt populations, who end up paying with their taxes and their lives. This war economy impoverishes societies, hinders their development, and reinforces dependence on financial capital, which sabotages any attempt at economic sovereignty.
In this challenging climate, trade unions have proven to be fundamental pillars in the defence of labour rights. Through powerful mobilisations — from general strikes in Belgium to mass protests in France against pension reform — they have successfully halted regressive policies. These victories demonstrate that collective action remains a vital force for safeguarding hard-won social protections and pushing back against neoliberal advances.
Beyond their role in defending labour rights, trade unions play an essential role in combating xenophobia promoted by the far right. In a context where migration is criminalised and migrants are stigmatised as a social threat, left-wing unions have been key actors in building a culture of solidarity, inclusion, and justice. Trade unions fight for the human right to migrate and for decent work for everyone, regardless of origin. In doing so, they do not only protect workers — they actively weave the fabric of an integrated, cohesive democracy.
This work not only combats institutional racism and workplace discrimination but also dismantles the hate speech that seeks to divide the working class. Unity between native and migrant workers is an indispensable condition for confronting the neoliberal model and building a more just, plural, and humane Europe. Our parties are rooted in the struggle against fascism and war — the twin threats facing our societies today.
Unity between native and migrant workers is an indispensable condition for confronting the neoliberal model.
Concrete Demands: Strengthening Cooperation
For a Europe of Decent Work, Justice, and Solidarity
The Party of the European Left (EL) calls for strengthened collaboration with the European trade union sphere in a comprehensive strategy to confront the challenges posed by the neoliberal and militarised model:
- Maintain and strengthen TUNE (Trade Unionists Network Europe) as a key structure for political–union coordination, ensuring its autonomy, continuity, and capacity for action.
- Deepen relations with European trade unions, including within the ETUC framework and with national leaderships, promoting strategic dialogue and coordination.
- Revitalise and give visibility to TUNE, encouraging participation in festivals, gatherings and spaces of unity among the transformative left, with particular the inclusion of young trade unionists and new forms of labour organisation.
- Promote European campaigns against precarisation and the war economy, denouncing the link between the financial system and the arms industry, and demanding public budgets prioritising social welfare over military spending.
- Strengthen workplace democracy, enabling workers to participate in key decisions regarding working conditions, ecological transition, fiscal justice, and public policies.
- Support European trade union observatories to monitor the rollback of labour rights, union repression, and regressive reforms driven by right-wing and far-right governments.
- Promote international cooperation between trade unions and social movements, especially in contexts of post-conflict reconstruction, forced migration, and climate crisis.
- Support trade unions fighting against xenophobia and defending the right to migrate, promoting initiatives that facilitate the labour and social integration of migrants. This includes anti-discrimination campaigns, intercultural training and full recognition of labour rights for all. This is key to confronting far-right hate speech and building a Europe of solidarity.
The defence of labour rights is inseparable from the defence of democracy.
In a Europe marked by militarisation, austerity and far-right advances, progressive trade unionism remains a decisive force for social justice. Strengthening cooperation between the European Left and trade unions is not optional — it is essential for building a Europe of decent work, solidarity and peace.
coordination on EU level is necessary
- Ahead of the European Parliament Elections in 2024
the Tune (Trade Unionists’ Network) and The
Left in the EU Parliament proposed 16 critical
points that must be implemented during the
2024-2029 term.
- With these 16 points, we try to give visibility
to many of the reasons behind the progressive
distancing of the working class from the EU
project.
- Giving the right solutions to these
demands will undoubtedly become a major
step in the right direction to building the ever announced and never-found “Social Europe”.
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