At a time when Europe is striving to improve its competitiveness, focusing solely on a deregulation and simplification agenda that serves only big business will not help us to succeed in bringing about a better future for most Europeans. Instead, we must consider the many elements that make up Europe’s real competitiveness, including our social model, which has historically given us a clear competitive advantage.
Our social model is not a regulatory burden or too costly; it is what ensures our quality of life, social mobility, skilled workforce and economic equality, all of which provide the foundation for our competitiveness.
So, what does the future hold, especially for European workers? In these uncertain times, people are constantly hearing about AI making jobs disappear, business moguls like Jeff Bezos earning more in a minute than many Amazon workers earn in a year, and companies like Tesla refusing to engage in collective bargaining as a matter of principle.
This does not provide much encouragement for workers, who are increasingly worried about falling behind in terms of workplace skills and the cost-of-living crisis affecting many Europeans. In our response, we need policies that promote well-being and protect workers while investing in social and technological innovation.
Despite the stormy weather, there are also many encouraging and promising examples of positive change in the world of work in Europe.
This is why The Left in the European Parliament organised an event during which we took inspiration from examples, ranging from a Council in the UK introducing a four-day working week to Spain becoming the first EU country to legislate for adequate working conditions for platform workers, to Denmark combating social dumping through collective agreements for migrant workers and by strengthening the supervisory authorities, or to the example of Volkswagen in Portugal, even in a context where collective bargaining coverage has been reduced.
In the United Kingdom, South Cambridgeshire District Council launched a trial of a four-day working week in 2023, which was made permanent in July 2025. Council workers are carrying out 100% of their work in about 80% of their contracted hours and receive the same salary. First met with resistance and scorn by the public, an independent analysis has shown that the council has saved nearly 400 000 pounds in a year by filling vacancies permanently instead of using expensive employment agencies.
The benefits do not end there. Despite the decline in working hours, services have improved in many sectors. In addition to staff turnover decreasing, the mental and physical health of employees has significantly improved. Furthermore, the number of job applications has more than doubled, whereas previously the Council was struggling with recruitment and retention issues.
In recent years, Spain's current government has also demonstrated that progressive labour market policies are beneficial for economic growth and reducing long-term unemployment. An interesting example of these policies is the so-called 'rider law', passed in 2021, which classifies platform workers as employees rather than self-employed contractors. The law also establishes guidelines for the use of algorithms in the workplace.
While the new law has not eliminated all problems relating to workers' status in the platform economy, it has brought significant improvements in terms of holidays, salaries, and union representation for workers. It has also enabled authorities to intervene in misconduct by platform companies. For example, Spain’s social security administration is demanding 450 million euros in fines and unpaid social contributions from the food delivery company Glovo.
Thirdly, when it comes to tackling labour exploitation in the EU, particularly in relation to migrant workers in the construction sector, Denmark's approach is a valuable example. This is a matter of fairness in labour mobility, as well as the functioning of the labour market as a whole, both of which lie at the heart of the European project.
The Danish government has taken action by strengthening the tools of the Danish Work Environment Authority for monitoring and countering labour market violations, ranging from improving occupational health and safety in workplaces to combating social dumping through strengthening collective agreements. For example, since the beginning of this year, the authority has had the power to shut down entire construction sites in the event of certain violations, including those carried out by subcontractors. Fines have also been increased.
All these examples are linked to some of the most fundamental issues in the European labour market that affect the lives and livelihoods of European workers. In uncertain times, we need to establish trust and provide hope for a better future. Eurobarometer surveys consistently show that Europeans are most concerned about making ends meet. In response, we need to implement policies that people can truly notice at workplaces and in their everyday lives.
These highlight that progressive labour market policies are possible and can transform societies for the better. They show that a better world of work is possible, but we must build it together.
Li Andersson (Finland), Per Clausen (Denmark) and Catarina Martins (Portugal) are Members of the European Parliament for The Left Group