We Work Europe

In the recent past, Croatia has experienced several waves of emigration. Critics claim that the next wave is imminent, triggered by a shortage of skilled labour in richer EU member states and the digital and green transformation that the EU has agreed on. One way to mitigate the potential ripple effect could be to create incentives - in living and working conditions. In this episode, we follow a young entrepreneur who is investing in his education to be prepared for the future.

In this two-part programme, we take a look at the upcoming European Parliament elections and the growing influence of right-wing populist and far-right parties. In the second episode, we talk about the ideological and socio-political attitudes that underpin right-wing populism. We also want to examine the extent to which this could block the work of the EU Parliament and what impact this could have on the future social policy direction of the EU.

In this two-part programme, we take a look at the upcoming European Parliament elections and the growing influence of right-wing populist and far-right parties. In the first episode, we ask ourselves what impact right-wing populists have once they are in power. To do this, we travel to Italy and take a closer look at some of the social policy measures of Giorgia Meloni's government.

In this episode we’ll talk about an issue, that doesn’t get much attention although it affects so many among us. We’ll talk about disability and chronic illness – and especially about women and girls with disability and chronic illness. This group of people is estimated to be the most marginalized group in the labour market and is continuously threatened by poverty and exclusion from society. But: There are eager women and men trying to change this situation to get women and girls into good jobs. And we’re going to show you how they do so.

Now in autumn, the main season of tourism in Southern Europe is already over. 2023 was also a season massively marked by climate events: forest fires, drought, heavy rain. These effects were also felt during our visit to Portugal in May. So the future of tourism must become more sustainable. And that is not only good for nature, but also for workers. A visit to the Algarve in Portugal looks at how sustainable tourism can improve working conditions and which problems this sector is facing.

In order to fight inflation in the EU, the ECB has raised the key interest rate several times. But it is precisely these interest rate hikes that could have a negative impact on workers and small and medium-sized enterprises. In this episode we talk to experts from NGOs, trade unions and politicians about the rate hikes, the ECB's role, the impact of the rate hike and a possible downward spiral in wages.

This is the second episode of EZA's two-parter on due diligence and Europe's responsibility in in international supply chains. Almost exactly 10 years ago, the Rana Plaza textile factory in Bangladesh collapsed and claimed more than 1000 lives. Although this accident was not the first in a textile factory for international mass production, the circumstances and dimensions of the disaster drew attention to the production of clothing and triggered a wide-ranging debate on grievances in the global textile industry. below-average wages, excessively long working days and hardly any free time, unprotected handling of chemicals and a lack of fire safety regulations are just some of the problems in the industry. Today we are talking about responsibility. In a two-part episode, we look at who takes responsibility in business and how the EU wants to ensure that human rights and the environment are respected along the entire supply chain. This is the second part of the "We Work Europe" two-parter on due diligence.

Almost exactly 10 years ago, the Rana Plaza textile factory in Bangladesh collapsed and claimed more than 1000 lives. Although this accident was not the first in a textile factory for international mass production, the circumstances and dimensions of the disaster drew attention to the production of clothing and triggered a wide-ranging debate on grievances in the global textile industry. below-average wages, excessively long working days and hardly any free time, unprotected handling of chemicals and a lack of fire safety regulations are just some of the problems in the industry. But the textile industry is not the only sector facing these accusations: from natural stones to rare earths. Today we are talking about responsibility. In a two-part episode, we look at who takes responsibility in business and how the EU wants to ensure that human rights and the environment are respected along the entire supply chain. This is the first part of the "We Work Europe" two-parter on due diligence.

Before the war against Ukraine Moldova wasn’t on the radar of many people. This has changed dramatically. Since the Country has reached EU-Candidacy-status, EZA has reached out to trade unions there. In this episode of We Work Europe, you will get an impression of the challenges the small country has to face. It's about the influence of Russia, the state of social dialogue and the hope that a better future lies ahead with Moldova through EU integration.

Dennis Radtke (EPP) and Agnes Jongerius (S&D) are members of the European Parliament. Although they are in different parties they agree when it comes to minimum wages. In fact, they have been working together as co-rapporteurs for the directive on adequate minimum wages in the European Union: They were responsible for drawing up a report with amendment proposals to the Parliament’s Committee on Employment and had to present this report to the plenary; subsequently, they also represented the European Parliament in the negotiations between the Parliament and the Council. That directive was adopted by the European Parliament and the Council in October 2022. Member states now have two years‘ time to transpose its content into national law. This initiative is a big step for fighting in-work poverty and exploitation and constitutes major progress in implementing the European Pillar of Social Rights. In this episode we talk with Dennis Radtke and Agnes Jongerius about the content of the directive and it’s impact on workers in the EU.

KRIFA’s transition didn’t come out of the blue. In fact, they invested large sums into research. The findings seem to support KRIFA’s strategy as a service provider for a full work-life. There is one keyword which the Danes want to promote: Meaningfulness. Because they argue that having a meaningful job isn’t just good for your health but it’s also enriching society. In this episode you’ll find out how all these things are connected.

Since 2015 the Danish trade union KRIFA is in a huge transition. They want to reinvent themselves as a new service provider for well-being at work. However, many critics argue that KRIFA has given up what characterizes a trade union. The question remains how a labour organization can stay relevant in a country which has one of the highest developed social systems on earth. Time for a visit what could be trade union 2.0.

Four out of five goods are delivered to your home in a truck. Igor is one of those people driving a truck. He spends three months in the cabin of his vehicle in order to spend one week with his family in Kaunas, Lithuania. Igor is member of the trade union Solidarumas whose purpose is to assist drivers in need. In this episode you will listen to perspectives on road transportation from Igor, his family, representatives from Solidarumas and from the European Labour Authority.

Christa Schweng is President of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC). This institution is a consultative body of the EU. It describes itself as a bridge between Europe and organized civil society. In the interview we talked about the impact of the war in Ukraine on the EESC, about the role of youth in the EU and about the conference on the future of Europe.

Bulgaria’s population is shrinking. For decades people at working age are emigrating the country in hope for better working conditions and higher wages abroad. Some sectors like healthcare are dearly needed, yet the payments there stay on a low level. Protests increase, while trade unions like Podkrepa, a member of the EZA network, try to negotiate between workers, employers and the government. An episode about job perspectives in Bulgaria.

It’s something, that makes the EU unique. Its sophisticated design of the welfare state protects us from the risks of life such as unemployment, illness, and aging. Some people argue it’s too expensive and its funding inhibits economic growth. Scientists from HIVA and EUROFOUND would strongly disagree. In this episode, we’ll find out that the contrary is true. The welfare state is an economic and social advantage, and we should put lots of effort into reinforcing it.

Millions of products are just a mouse click away. It just takes us one or two days of waiting until we’ll get our product delivered by Amazon. It’s a comfortable system for us as customers. But how about the people working there? In this episode, we talk to Ellen Reese and Jake Alimahomed-Wilson who published a book about Amazon’s system: The Cost of Free Shipping – Amazon in the Global Economy. We also listen to the insights of Norbert Faltin, a former works council at Amazon to find out how dangerous Amazon is for workers but also for the democracy of Europe.

England is the motherland of industry and workers as we know them. Especially the north of the country is very proud of this heritage. However, due to Brexit and deregulation, times get harder and harder for workers. We’ll travel to the EZA-member St. Antony’s Centre in Manchester and Blackpool to find out how Brexit has dramatically affected social cohesion in the UK.