On Tuesday 18 October, MEPs approved the introduction of new guidelines on national employment policies to protect vulnerable workers and create a more inclusive European labour market.
The European Parliament’s Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) had adopted its position on 10 October (see EUROPE 13040/25).
The European Parliament confirmed this position in a resolution adopted by 333 votes in favour, 253 against and 52 abstentions, tabled by Alicia Homs Ginel (S&D, Spanish).
The revised guidelines “aim to boost labour demand, improve supply of and access to employment, and promote equal opportunities, particularly for vulnerable groups such as ethnic minorities, the LGBTIQA+ community and people living in disadvantaged areas”, a statement said.
MEPs call for an end to precarious and unpaid work and the abuse of undeclared, atypical and zero-hours contracts. All internships should also offer fair pay, decent working conditions and access to social protection. The European Parliament also wants to be more involved in the drafting of these guidelines.
MEPs had discussed the issue on the evening of Monday 17 October, in Strasbourg. Shortly before, they had also addressed poverty in the EU on the occasion of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.
Today, 7% of the world’s population is in a situation of extreme poverty and, in 2021, more than 95 million people were at risk of poverty or social exclusion in the EU, European Commissioner Nicolas Schmit emphasized on this occasion.
One in 10 workers was also affected by poverty in 2019, with the Commissioner and MEPs calling on Member States to do everything possible to ensure that work is a route out of poverty and that minimum allowances are adapted to a return to or retention in the labour market.
Link to the text: https://aeur.eu/f/3nr (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)