04/02/2020 (Agence Europe) – Average wages have fallen in six member states and stagnated in three others in the last ten years, according to a study by the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) published on Tuesday 4 February. Greece recorded the largest decrease between 2010 and 2019, with a 15% fall over this period, followed by Cyprus (-7%), Croatia (-5%), Spain (-4%), Portugal (-4%) and Italy (-2%). Finland (+0.1%), Belgium (+1.5%) and the Netherlands (+1.5%) experienced near stagnation in national average earnings. Referring to the consultation launched by the European Commission (see EUROPE 12403/5), Esther Lynch, Deputy General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) said that “the EU must do much more to promote increases in wages and in minimum wages, and to support stronger collective bargaining in almost all EU member states”. (PH)