The 35th KGZE (Conference on Trade Union Cooperation in Europe) was held in Luxembourg from 6-8 November 2024 entitled ‘Focus on the human being – the vision of a European labour market without barriers and inequalities’, organised by ÖZA (Austrian Centre for Workers' Education) in cooperation with EZA and funded by the European Union.
The participants were representatives of workers' organisations from Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Spain and Ukraine.
On behalf of the Chairwoman of ÖZA and FCG (Christian Trade Unionists' Group) Austria Mag. Romana Deckenbacher, Norbert Schnedl (former Chairman of ÖZA and FCG Austria) gave a speech: in his opening speech, Norbert Schnedl emphasised the importance of social dialogue, the European Pillar of Social Rights and the Treaty of Lisbon. He stated that the social dimension takes centre stage: the title of the conference refers to how all employees in the EU should have the same rights, regardless of origin, religion and gender. The aim is to reduce wage differences and standardise working conditions in all the member states - an essential response to the challenges of digitalisation and globalisation. Norbert Schnedl explained that, although the vision was ambitious, they were determined to work towards this objective and to continuously develop the social dialogue in Europe. He warned against the simple messages of left-wing and right-wing extremist movements and emphasised the need to find solutions based on fundamental Christian and social values. He quoted Jean-Claude Juncker: “A social Europe is not a dream, but a necessity.”
Patrick Dury, Chairman of the Luxemburger Christliche Gewerkschafts-Bund, LCGB, (Luxembourg Christian Trade Union Confederation), emphasised that the topic of a ‘barrier-free labour market’ was an ideal solution for Luxembourg, a ‘Europe in miniature’. Luxembourg has evolved from a country of emigration to a country of immigration due to the development of the steel industry, which attracted many labour migrants from various European countries. Dury remembered the trade union strike when Italian workers were being forced to go back to Italy - an event that led to the founding of the LCGB. He stressed the fact that half of the employees in Luxembourg are cross-border commuters, which highlights the need for a barrier-free labour market. Integration is successful in Luxembourg due to the strong social policy and multilingualism. However, challenges such as tax and social security issues persist, and solutions must be found. He called for a coherent policy for the greater Luxembourg region in view of the current border controls which are causing delays.
Frederic de Wispelaere (University HIVA-KU Leuven) gave a presentation on ‘Fair working conditions and social protection between local workers and mobile workers within the EU’ and emphasised that fairness in competition is central to the theme of the conference. All the stakeholders must be taken into account, and we must standardise working conditions and wages to create fair working conditions. This raises the question of the situation of third-country nationals in this process. Clear inequalities exist between workers within the EU, for example in the case of seasonal workers. There is often a discrepancy between legal requirements and practical implementation in the EU Member States, and all the freedoms of the internal market must be considered here. One major problem is the significant wage differences within the EU, which could pose the risk of underpayments, as some employees not only receive less pay, but also work more hours and often receive no pay for overtime - a problem that also applies to posted workers under the Posting of Workers Directive. There are also challenges in terms of taxation and social security. The conditions are particularly difficult for employees who work in several countries and provide cross-border services, such as lorry drivers from Poland and Lithuania. De Wispelaere emphasised the significant role of the trade unions, which can help standardise wages and working conditions through cooperation both among the unions themselves (as in the context of the KGZE) and with the work inspectorates.
Maria Helena Macedo from the LCGB explained Luxembourg's economic development and the role of the steel industry in immigration. She described the often precarious working conditions of the early years and how the first wave of immigration from Italy led to the founding of trade unions in Luxembourg. She highlighted the situation of employees with a migration background in Luxembourg and used the example of Portuguese colleagues. She stressed the cross-border opportunities that the LCGB promotes through dual memberships, for example with the CSC (Confederation of Christian Trade Unions).
Luxembourg's Labour Minister, Georges Mischo, asked how technological progress could be reconciled with social security. Coordination at EU level is crucial and the EU minimum wage directive is an important step in the right direction. He emphasised that social dialogue is essential to ensure fair working conditions and economic development.
Per Dyrholm from the Christian Trade Union of Denmark/KRIFA raised the issue of employees receiving additional payments if they do not join a trade union and referred to cases in Denmark and companies owned by Elon Musk. He emphasised the right to form trade unions and to fair working conditions as fundamental rights. The EU must ensure that trade union members do not face discrimination (La Hulpe Declaration).
Manuela Vollmann from ABZ*AUSTRIA stated that equal pay for equal work is an important objective and drew attention to the gender pay gap. She explained that women are also more frequently affected by poverty in old age and cited traditional gender roles and blamed inflexible working time models and an unequal distribution of paid and unpaid work as the causes of the gender pay gap. She proposed solutions such as a 30/30 working time model, the right to childcare and the introduction of all-day school models to achieve a fairer distribution of labour.
Yuriy Kurylo from VOST VOLYA reported on the situation in Ukraine. He described how Russia's war of aggression was continuing and was affecting every part of life in Ukraine. He explained that, in terms of labour law and trade union work, martial law is currently imposed which is having a massive impact on working conditions. For example, employees can be sacked without the agreement of the trade unions, working hours may be increased from 40 to 60 hours and contracts can be temporarily suspended for the duration of martial law. Although the trade unions do not agree with these moves, they understand the urgent need for such measures. He emphasised that constitutional law would be restored in Ukraine after the victory over the Moscow aggressors, and that the trade union was currently in the process of signing collective agreements where possible. The union is attempting to conclude bilateral agreements in cases where this cannot be achieved which, however, is impossible in war zones. The aim is to establish labour law in Ukraine that is in line with EU standards. Seminars were organised in cooperation with EZA and a Romanian partner trade union in 2024 and eleven activists were trained. The VOST VOLYA trade union focuses in particular on people with disabilities and especially war invalids.
Emil Antonov from the Bulgarian trade union PODKREPA described a ‘brain drain’ in Bulgaria as many young Bulgarians were emigrating to look for work in other countries. One of the main reasons for the exodus is the poor working conditions and low earning potential in Bulgaria Young Bulgarians who have studied outside Bulgaria generally never return due to the lack of career opportunities, which is why qualified specialists emigrate to more developed countries. However, this also affects low-skilled workers in the construction and care sectors for example. He referred to Bulgaria's history and stated that although a democratic façade had theoretically been created after 1989, the centralised mindset of the communist era was still deeply embedded in the institutions and the private sector. Approx. 2 million people have left Bulgaria since the end of communism during a succession of countless crises since 1997. Bulgaria is currently experiencing a problem of very high youth unemployment. A big problem also exists regarding the education sector and minorities. Statistics issued by the World Bank show that 25% of Roma and Sinti (in Bulgaria) are illiterate; they therefore often work in the construction sector. A problem faced by Bulgarians working abroad is that they are often exploited in the respective country if they do not speak the local language and most of the work of the Bulgarian trade unions is legal advice in such cases.
Viorel Rotila (Dunarea De Jos University of Galati, Romania) talked about gender inequality in Romania. Romania faces many problems in this respect. Many legal standards have been implemented but many injustices still prevail. This is because there is a difference between theory (law) and practice. The laws are good but do not reflect the mindset of the Romanian population. The laws are often theoretical and would not be implemented if the trade unions didn’t issue repeated demands. This is the historical legacy of communism combined with the surge in religious/orthodox traditionalism that leads to gender inequality. Romanian trade unions focussed primarily on wages and not on other factors. Romania is a success story in terms of the demand for ‘equal pay for equal work’. Romania ranks second in the EU after Luxembourg, and this is owing to the activities of the trade unions. The objective and the theme of the conference is an inclusive labour market with inclusive trade unions.
Mara Erdelj from the trade union BOFOS, Serbia, presented a report on the activities of her trade union with a special focus on campaigns. She expressly praised the character of the KGZE, which puts people at the centre and thanked the FCG and LCGB for the excellent conference. She emphasised the importance of Christian values such as humanity as the basis for cooperation within the joint development cooperation network.