Council of Europe: ECSR, on Social Charter “wages in several countries do not ensure a decent standard of living”.

In several countries, “the statutory minimum wage or the lowest wages fixed by collective agreements” are “too low in comparison with the average wage” and “do not ensure a decent standard of living”. In France, Italy, Spain and Albania, the information in the national report is insufficient to establish whether the minimum wage is fair. This is what emerges from the 2022 conclusions published today by the European Committee of Social Rights (ECSR) on compliance of 33 States with the articles of the European Social Charter relating to Labour Rights. The ECSR also notes the “insufficient promotion of collective bargaining and the restrictions on the right to collective bargaining on behalf of a certain category of workers”. In some cases, “workers are not granted an effective right to participate in the decision-making process within the undertaking”. In several countries, the ECSR notes “the lack of appropriate and effective redress (compensation and reinstatement) in cases of sexual harassment, and the absence of adequate prevention of sexual harassment in the workplace”. In several countries, “preventive measures aimed at ensuring that redundancies do not take effect before employers’ obligation to inform and to consult has been fulfilled (such as recourse to administrative and judicial proceedings) do not exist, as well as the effective sanctions applicable in cases where employers fail to fulfil their obligations, under the Charter, of information and consultation in collective redundancy procedures”, the ECSR concludes.
Valentina Bombelli