In a resolution adopted at the Executive Committee, EFFAT has pledged its full support to affiliates taking part in strikes and demonstrations in Belgium, Germany, Ireland and Portugal, France, Spain and Italy this month.
The resolution places the actions within a broader European picture: workers are still paying for the cost-of-living crisis, while governments have too often chosen austerity over relief. It also links the unrest to the growing weight of shareholder payouts in the European economy and sets out what EFFAT expects from decision-makers.
The ongoing mobilisations are not isolated national disputes but a shared response to the same pressures: stagnating purchasing power, unaffordable housing and cuts to public services. It singles out the food, agriculture, tourism and domestic work sectors, where many workers were already among the lowest paid before prices began to climb.
The resolution is vocal on the financialisation aspect: dividends and share buybacks comes at the expense of investment in workers, decent working conditions, and long-term productive capacity.
EFFAT calls on European governments and EU institutions to listen to the mobilisation and youth movement across Europe and swiftly, with fair wages, strong protection of workers’ rights and properly funded public services at the top of the list.
