Internationally-recognised core labour standards in the European Union. Report for the WTO General Council Review of trade policies of the European Union
- Document number
- 2025
- Date
- 2009
- Title
- Internationally-recognised core labour standards in the European Union. Report for the WTO General Council Review of trade policies of the European Union
- Author/publisher
- International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC)
- Availability
- View/save PDF version of this document
- Document type(s)
- Meeting Documentation/Conference Reports, Research/Study/Analysis,
- Keywords
- Irregular Migration, Feminization of migration, Economic migration, Labour migration, Free movement, Undocumented migrants; Undocumented labour;
- Summary
- The report underlines the ratification by all 27 countries of the eight ILO fundamental conventions but notes shortcomings in the application and enforcement of core labour standards, particularly with regard to anti-unions discrimination, the right to strike and an increasingly large gender pay gap in a majority of the countries.
As indicated in the report, some of the older EU member states, like Belgium, Finland, France, Greece and United Kingdom, have initiated new legislative measures that severely limit the right to strike or leaving the door open for interpretation of collective action.
The report also refers to discrimination in employment and equal remuneration, which is still very much prevalent in many EU member states. Despite laws for equal treatment, indirect wage discrimination against women remains a serious problem, and women in Europe earn on an average 10 to 30 percent less than their male counterparts. Finally, the reports notes with great concern that discrimination in employment, education and housing against the Roma ethnic minority still exists in many of the Eastern European member states. - Related documents