EFFAT’s final conference, ‘Stronger Collective Bargaining’, was a highlight of the EU-funded ‘Stronger Hospitality’ project, launched in July 2023. Bringing together over 115 participants from 15 countries and various EFFAT sectors, the event was a powerful platform for advancing fairer working conditions across Europe.
The conference tackled precarious working conditions and low pay in hospitality, focusing on empowering workers—particularly youth—and building the strength of trade unions to negotiate improved wages and conditions.
Key highlights included:
- Overview of Collective Bargaining in Europe: Insights into current challenges and opportunities, including the potential of the Minimum Wages Directive as a transformative tool for unions.
- Innovative Strategies: Practical approaches to increase union membership, enhance collective bargaining, and foster social dialogue.
- Best Practice Exchange: Contributions from 17 participants across 14 countries, showcasing methods like targeted recruitment, workplace organising, labour mobility partnerships, and themed campaigns.
The conference concluded with a fruitful political panel featuring EFFAT’s future leaders, who shared strategies to further strengthen collective bargaining across all sectors—hospitality, agriculture, food, and domestic work.
With collaboration and innovation at its core, this conference underscored EFFAT’s commitment to securing better pay, working conditions, and social justice for workers in Europe.
