Latest news with #ETUC
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
No holiday for 42 million EU workers: Where is holiday the most unaffordable in Europe?
In 2023, 15% of employed people in the EU were unable to afford a one-week holiday away from home. While this percentage might not appear very high at first glance, it represents around 42 million workers. In each of the EU's "Big Four" economies (Germany, France, Spain and Italy), over 5 million workers were unable to afford a week-long holiday according to Eurostat data published by the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC). 'Taking a break with family or friends is important for our physical and mental health, and it is a basic part of the European social contract,' said ETUC General Secretary Esther Lynch, criticising the situation. Holiday poverty among workers continues to rise Holiday poverty among workers is on the rise across the EU, marking the third consecutive annual increase. In 2022, 40.5 million employed people reported being unable to afford a one-week holiday away from home. That number rose to 41.5 million in 2023—an increase of over one million workers in just a year. The share of affected workers grew from 14% to 15%. 'The findings are the result of an increasingly unequal economy, in which workers are forced to give up their holidays due to rising costs for accommodation, transport and food, combined with declining purchasing power and speculation', the ETUC stated. Related The cost of love: Europe's most expensive and cheapest cities for a date Cost of living: Which are the cheapest and most expensive countries in Europe? East-West gap in holiday affordability for workers The data reveals a strong disparity in holiday affordability across the EU, particularly between Eastern/Southern Europe and Western/Northern Europe. Romania tops the list, with 32% of workers unable to afford a one-week holiday. Close behind are Hungary (26%), Bulgaria (24%), Portugal and Cyprus (both 23%), and Slovakia (22%). The Nordic countries—Finland, Sweden and Denmark—along with the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Slovenia, report the lowest levels of holiday poverty, ranging between 5% and 7%. Czechia, Austria, and Belgium reported holiday poverty rates at or below 10%. Despite their economic weight, even the EU's largest economies report concerning levels of holiday poverty. Among the EU's Big Four, Spain (18%) and Italy (17%) exceed the EU average of 15%. France (12%) and Germany (11%) fall below the average, but both still remain above 10%. EU's Big Four: Over 5 million workers in each country can't afford a holiday Absolute figures speak louder than percentages. Over 5 million workers in each of the EU's Big Four were unable to afford a holiday in 2023. In Italy, the number stood at 6.2 million, followed by 5.8 million in Germany, 5.6 million in Spain, and 5.1 million in France. Over 3.5 million workers in Romania and Poland also couldn't afford a holiday. This figure was more than 1.5 million in Hungary and Portugal. In Austria and the Netherlands, over 550,000 workers couldn't afford even a one-week holiday despite being employed or having a business. 'After working hard all year, it is the least working people should be able to expect to afford and should not be allowed to become a luxury for the few,' Lynch said. 'However, these figures show that Europe has a quality jobs emergency and that our social contract is continuing to crumble as the result of growing economic inequality.' Related Where in Europe are workers losing ground as taxes rise faster than wages? Which career in Europe will reward you with the highest salary? Is holiday poverty linked to income? There is a moderately strong negative correlation between the share of workers who cannot afford a one-week holiday away from home and annual net earnings. This means that as net earnings increase, the proportion of workers unable to afford such a holiday tends to decrease. However, since the correlation is moderate, it also indicates that in some countries, this relationship is not strong or does not follow the overall trend as closely. For example, Ireland (€43,897) had one of the highest annual net earnings in the EU in 2023, yet holiday poverty remains comparatively high. In contrast, Slovenia has a low level of holiday poverty among workers, even though the incomes are similar to countries where more people struggle to afford a holiday. Strong correlation between workers and general population By comparing workers (aged 15-64) and the general population aged 16 and over, Euronews Business found a strong correlation: the higher the rate of workers who cannot afford a holiday, the higher it tends to be in the overall population. In 2023, among the general population, the share of people unable to afford a one-week holiday ranged from 11% in Luxembourg to 60% in Romania, while the EU average stood at 29%. This suggests that the rate among the general population is nearly double that of workers. Experts speaking to Euronews Business had noted that differences between countries are largely tied to the strength of their economies. The level of disposable income plays a key role, as it directly affects people's ability to spend on holidays—particularly when looking at figures for the general population. The ETUC calls on national governments to fully implement the Minimum Wage Directive and urges the European Commission to ensure that the Quality Job Package due this year includes legislation to rebalance the economy—making respect for collective bargaining a condition for access to public contracts.
Euronews
19-07-2025
- Business
- Euronews
42 million EU workers can't afford holiday: Which countries are worst?
In 2023, 15% of employed people in the EU were unable to afford a one-week holiday away from home. While this percentage might not appear very high at first glance, it represents around 42 million workers. In each of the EU's "Big Four" economies (Germany, France, Spain and Italy), over 5 million workers were unable to afford a week-long holiday according to Eurostat data published by the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC). 'Taking a break with family or friends is important for our physical and mental health, and it is a basic part of the European social contract,' said ETUC General Secretary Esther Lynch, criticising the situation. Holiday poverty among workers continues to rise Holiday poverty among workers is on the rise across the EU, marking the third consecutive annual increase. In 2022, 40.5 million employed people reported being unable to afford a one-week holiday away from home. That number rose to 41.5 million in 2023—an increase of over one million workers in just a year. The share of affected workers grew from 14% to 15%. 'The findings are the result of an increasingly unequal economy, in which workers are forced to give up their holidays due to rising costs for accommodation, transport and food, combined with declining purchasing power and speculation', the ETUC stated. East-West gap in holiday affordability for workers The data reveals a strong disparity in holiday affordability across the EU, particularly between Eastern/Southern Europe and Western/Northern Europe. Romania tops the list, with 32% of workers unable to afford a one-week holiday. Close behind are Hungary (26%), Bulgaria (24%), Portugal and Cyprus (both 23%), and Slovakia (22%). The Nordic countries—Finland, Sweden and Denmark—along with the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Slovenia, report the lowest levels of holiday poverty, ranging between 5% and 7%. Czechia, Austria, and Belgium reported holiday poverty rates at or below 10%. Despite their economic weight, even the EU's largest economies report concerning levels of holiday poverty. Among the EU's Big Four, Spain (18%) and Italy (17%) exceed the EU average of 15%. France (12%) and Germany (11%) fall below the average, but both still remain above 10%. EU's Big Four: Over 5 million workers in each country can't afford a holiday Absolute figures speak louder than percentages. Over 5 million workers in each of the EU's Big Four were unable to afford a holiday in 2023. In Italy, the number stood at 6.2 million, followed by 5.8 million in Germany, 5.6 million in Spain, and 5.1 million in France. Over 3.5 million workers in Romania and Poland also couldn't afford a holiday. This figure was more than 1.5 million in Hungary and Portugal. In Austria and the Netherlands, over 550,000 workers couldn't afford even a one-week holiday despite being employed or having a business. 'After working hard all year, it is the least working people should be able to expect to afford and should not be allowed to become a luxury for the few,' Lynch said. 'However, these figures show that Europe has a quality jobs emergency and that our social contract is continuing to crumble as the result of growing economic inequality.' Is holiday poverty linked to income? There is a moderately strong negative correlation between the share of workers who cannot afford a one-week holiday away from home and annual net earnings. This means that as net earnings increase, the proportion of workers unable to afford such a holiday tends to decrease. However, since the correlation is moderate, it also indicates that in some countries, this relationship is not strong or does not follow the overall trend as closely. For example, Ireland (€43,897) had one of the highest annual net earnings in the EU in 2023, yet holiday poverty remains comparatively high. In contrast, Slovenia has a low level of holiday poverty among workers, even though the incomes are similar to countries where more people struggle to afford a holiday. Strong correlation between workers and general population By comparing workers (aged 15-64) and the general population aged 16 and over, Euronews Business found a strong correlation: the higher the rate of workers who cannot afford a holiday, the higher it tends to be in the overall population. In 2023, among the general population, the share of people unable to afford a one-week holiday ranged from 11% in Luxembourg to 60% in Romania, while the EU average stood at 29%. This suggests that the rate among the general population is nearly double that of workers. Experts speaking to Euronews Business had noted that differences between countries are largely tied to the strength of their economies. The level of disposable income plays a key role, as it directly affects people's ability to spend on holidays—particularly when looking at figures for the general population. The ETUC calls on national governments to fully implement the Minimum Wage Directive and urges the European Commission to ensure that the Quality Job Package due this year includes legislation to rebalance the economy—making respect for collective bargaining a condition for access to public contracts.
Euronews
04-07-2025
- Health
- Euronews
42% increase in heat-related deaths at work in the EU since 2000
The heatwave sweeping across Europe has claimed its first victims at work. Spain and France have each reported a heatwave-related death. Similar tragedies have occurred in previous summers in both countries, as well as in Italy and Greece. The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) is sounding the alarm. According to figures from the International Labour Organisation, the EU has seen a 42% increase in heat-related deaths in the workplace since the turn of the century. The ETUC points out that, according to studies, when temperatures exceed 30°C, the risk of work-related accidents increases by 5 to 7%. When the temperature rises above 38°C, the risk is 10-15% higher. The European confederation is therefore calling for European measures to protect workers. "We need to assess the risks by taking into account not only the temperature, but also other conditions affecting humidity and, specifically, the amount of shade available, ventilation and exposure to sunlight," insists Giulio Romani, ETUC Confederal Secretary. "Secondly, we believe that there should be the right to medical examinations, controls and periodic inspections. And finally, a right to be absent from work without disciplinary measures or sanctions, in cases where the worker perceives that the extreme heat conditions are putting him or her at risk", he adds. In the EU, 23% of workers are exposed to high temperatures at least a quarter of the time, 36% in agriculture and industry and 38% in construction. Dizziness, headaches and muscle cramps are the first symptoms of heat stress. These signals can then lead to vomiting, loss of consciousness and even death if no action is taken. High temperatures also exacerbate a range of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Different national rules The ETUC is calling for maximum working temperatures to be set for different sectors of activity. Some member states have already set thresholds, says the European confederation.
Euractiv
01-07-2025
- Health
- Euractiv
Avoidable chronic diseases are Europe's deadliest killers, says Eurostat data
New data from Eurostat show that around 1.1 million deaths per year in Europe could be avoided through smarter public health policies targeting alcohol and tobacco, or better-quality medical care. According to new figures from 2022 released by the EU's official statistics agency on Monday, the deadliest diseases affecting people under 75 in Europe are not caused by viruses, but by chronic health conditions. The agency found that 386,710 deaths were from treatable diseases – avoidable through high-quality medical care – and 725,625 deaths were due to preventable chronic diseases. These include lung cancer, cardiovascular disease, and alcohol-related poisoning. Latvia recorded the highest rate of avoidable deaths, followed by Romania and Hungary. Ranking lowest, however, were Sweden, Italy, and Luxembourg. Since 2010, gaps between western and eastern countries have been growing on tobacco use, obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes, the WHO found in a recent report. These figures come as countries are preparing to debate the topic at the UN General Assembly in New York this September, where they will address targets for reducing noncommunicable diseases by 2030. The World Health Organization's Europe chief, Hans Kluge, has said the bloc can turn things around and has called for 'bold' prevention policies. A workforce issue? Several unions, including ETUC and EPSU, said the figures reflect a broader problem with the bloc's health workforce, linked to cuts in national and EU-level social spending. According to the OECD, the EU faces a shortage of 1.2 million healthcare workers. Esther Lynch, general secretary of ETUC said that 'despite the heroic daily efforts of healthcare workers regularly doing overtime to make-up for huge shortages, these figures show again that austerity kills.' Alessandro Gallina, a policy officer at non-profit European Public Health Alliance, said that the Eurostat figures "underscore a painful truth: prevention remains key to reducing avoidable deaths, yet the EU's health workforce planning still fails to fully embed it." This also comes as health NGOs – many of which focus on prevention – are concerned about their financial future under the EU's next long-term budget. In June, a few countries, including Belgium, Spain, and Slovenia, called for sustained civil society funding in the MFF. Frank Vandenbroucke, Belgium's health minister, said NGO funding would be crucial for prevention work "independent of lobbies" like the tobacco or food industries. (bms, aw)
Euronews
26-03-2025
- Business
- Euronews
Being transparent about pay could save EU women €700 per year
ADVERTISEMENT Women in the EU still earned, on average, 12% less than men in 2023, according to Eurostat. The EU's Pay Transparency Directive, which member states must incorporate into their national laws by June 2026, aims to address the gender pay gap. However, some business groups oppose certain provisions and are calling for an exemption for companies with 100 to 250 employees, rather than limiting it to those with fewer than 50 workers. The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) calculated that blocking the transparency would cost EU women at least €4.8 billion per year, potentially rising to €7.2b. This is equivalent to €465–€700 per woman annually. Despite these efforts, salary transparency in job postings remains very low in some of Europe's largest economies including Germany, with rates below 20%, according to hiring platform Indeed. 'The European Commission must include strong measures to support equal pay in its upcoming Roadmap for Women's Rights,' Isabelle Schömann, ETUC Deputy General Secretary, said. 'Equality thrives on transparency. The more we can shine a light on discrimination, the more we can force action to address its injustice.' Related Women's parity vital to EU competitiveness drive, says agency director Average salary rankings in Europe: Which countries pay the highest? ETUC estimates that the companies in Europe with between 100 and 250 employees — which could be subject to a transparency exemption — employ over 10 million women in total. 'Companies have been playing the card of being overburdened by regulation, but it is women workers who for too long have been overburdened with low pay,' Schömann said. ETUC emphasises that transparency has been shown to be a crucial lever for women workers and their unions to reduce the gender pay gap. Women in SMEs could lose €465–€700 per year ETUC found that if pay transparency requirements reduced the gender pay gap by 15%, the gap for 10.4mn women working in enterprises with 100 to 249 employees would decline from €4,640 per year to €3,944. That would result in a gain of around €700 per woman, or €7.2b in total. With a more conservative estimate of a 10% reduction, the gender pay gap would decrease to €4,176 per year, giving each woman a boost of around €465. In this case, excluding these workers in small and medium-sized enterprises from pay transparency would cost €4.8b annually. Reporting obligations ETUC states that lobby group BusinessEurope is advocating for the Commission to exclude the majority of companies covered by the Pay Transparency Directive from gender pay gap reporting requirements. In its report, Reducing Regulatory Burden to Restore the EU's Competitive Edge, BusinessEurope proposed that 'the scope of this article needs to be changed to exclude all SMEs with less than 250 workers from the reporting obligations'. 'BusinessEurope supports reasonable measures to reduce the gender pay gap. Unfortunately, the pay transparency directive imposes very burdensome pay reporting obligations and incomprehensible requirements ...on companies, which will not advance the cause of gender equality. It is a very clear case of necessary simplification,' the organisation told Euronews Business. Salary transparency significantly varies in top economies According to Indeed, as of the end of 2024, the UK had the highest salary transparency among six European countries, with 70% of job postings including salary information. In France, salary transparency stood at 51%, slightly above the 50% mark. In the Netherlands and Ireland, it ranged between 40-45%. ADVERTISEMENT However, Germany (16%) and Italy (19%) lagged significantly behind, with transparency rates falling below 20%. Reasons behind huge differences 'There is a stark contrast in salary transparency across Europe,' Lisa Feist, an economist at Indeed Hiring Lab, told Euronews Business. 'Labour markets have their marked differences and come with their own history and culture around pay.' She explained that differences in sectoral composition and wage-setting institutions likely also contribute to these very different transparency levels. ADVERTISEMENT 'Surveys indicate that comfort levels in discussing salaries differ significantly across Europe, making the transposition of the EU directive into national law a significant shift for many market participants.' she added. Transparency supports women and marginalised groups Lisa Feist also emphasised the key role of salary transparency in addressing the gender pay gap . 'Pay transparency—whether through salary data in job ads or early in the hiring process—helps reduce information asymmetry between employers and candidates,' she said. Noting that women and other marginalised groups often have less access to informal networks and may face penalties for negotiating assertively, she added: 'Providing salary information upfront strengthens their position in pay negotiations and promotes fairer outcomes.' Salary transparency is lowest in high-paid jobs Indeed data reveals that salary transparency is lowest in high-paying occupations. Among the six countries analysed, cleaning & sanitation had the highest transparency, followed by driving, education & instruction, and food preparation & services. ADVERTISEMENT In contrast, industrial engineering, software development, information design & documentation, project management, and law were among the least transparent job categories. Employers in high-wage industries tend to be less inclined to disclose salaries. This trend is consistent in five countries, except for the Netherlands. For example, in France, salary transparency was 68% in low-wage jobs, compared to 39% in high-wage positions. This pattern is even more strong in Ireland: 57% vs 18%.
