11/07/2025 (Agence Europe) – On Friday 11 July, the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) reported that the number of people unable to afford a week’s holiday despite being in work had risen by more than a million in a single year, based on an analysis by the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI). Summer holidays were out of reach for 41.5 million people in 2023, compared with 40.5 million in 2022. It is the third consecutive annual rise in holiday poverty and means that 15% of all working people in Europe are now missing out on time away with their families. The ETUC calls on governments to fully implement the Minimum Wage Directive and for the Commission to ensure that the Quality Job Package includes legislation to rebalance the economy, in particular by making respect for collective bargaining a condition for access to public contracts. For further information: https://aeur.eu/f/hu0 (SP)