International Workers’ Day: Schmit (EU Commission), “promoting dignified work that puts people at the centre, respectful of their rights”

The International Workers’ Day is “an opportunity to reflect on the policies that the EU is implementing to improve work prospects and working conditions for everyone: from ensuring minimum wages to promoting social dialogue and agreements, from protecting people who work on digital platforms to pushing for equal pay for men and women”. This was said by the Commissioner for Employment and Social Affairs, Nicolas Schmit, in a statement in the run-up to the International Workers’ Day. According to the Commissioner, the pandemic “has expedited lots of changes in the labour market and there’s no time to waste to adapt our skills and meet the new requirements”. Speaking of the current war, Schmit mentioned the efforts that are being made to “include people fleeing Ukraine into the EU labour market” by mapping their skills, translating their qualifications and helping them find a job. While listing some of the measures that the EU is working at to strengthen the rights of workers, and especially those of women and young people, the Commissioner emphasised that the EU wants to play “a leading role in promoting dignified work that puts people at the centre, while respecting their rights and dignity”.
Sarah Numico