Latest news with #EstherLynch
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
No holiday for 42 million EU workers: Where is holiday the most unaffordable in Europe?
In 2023, 15% of employed people in the EU were unable to afford a one-week holiday away from home. While this percentage might not appear very high at first glance, it represents around 42 million workers. In each of the EU's "Big Four" economies (Germany, France, Spain and Italy), over 5 million workers were unable to afford a week-long holiday according to Eurostat data published by the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC). 'Taking a break with family or friends is important for our physical and mental health, and it is a basic part of the European social contract,' said ETUC General Secretary Esther Lynch, criticising the situation. Holiday poverty among workers continues to rise Holiday poverty among workers is on the rise across the EU, marking the third consecutive annual increase. In 2022, 40.5 million employed people reported being unable to afford a one-week holiday away from home. That number rose to 41.5 million in 2023—an increase of over one million workers in just a year. The share of affected workers grew from 14% to 15%. 'The findings are the result of an increasingly unequal economy, in which workers are forced to give up their holidays due to rising costs for accommodation, transport and food, combined with declining purchasing power and speculation', the ETUC stated. Related The cost of love: Europe's most expensive and cheapest cities for a date Cost of living: Which are the cheapest and most expensive countries in Europe? East-West gap in holiday affordability for workers The data reveals a strong disparity in holiday affordability across the EU, particularly between Eastern/Southern Europe and Western/Northern Europe. Romania tops the list, with 32% of workers unable to afford a one-week holiday. Close behind are Hungary (26%), Bulgaria (24%), Portugal and Cyprus (both 23%), and Slovakia (22%). The Nordic countries—Finland, Sweden and Denmark—along with the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Slovenia, report the lowest levels of holiday poverty, ranging between 5% and 7%. Czechia, Austria, and Belgium reported holiday poverty rates at or below 10%. Despite their economic weight, even the EU's largest economies report concerning levels of holiday poverty. Among the EU's Big Four, Spain (18%) and Italy (17%) exceed the EU average of 15%. France (12%) and Germany (11%) fall below the average, but both still remain above 10%. EU's Big Four: Over 5 million workers in each country can't afford a holiday Absolute figures speak louder than percentages. Over 5 million workers in each of the EU's Big Four were unable to afford a holiday in 2023. In Italy, the number stood at 6.2 million, followed by 5.8 million in Germany, 5.6 million in Spain, and 5.1 million in France. Over 3.5 million workers in Romania and Poland also couldn't afford a holiday. This figure was more than 1.5 million in Hungary and Portugal. In Austria and the Netherlands, over 550,000 workers couldn't afford even a one-week holiday despite being employed or having a business. 'After working hard all year, it is the least working people should be able to expect to afford and should not be allowed to become a luxury for the few,' Lynch said. 'However, these figures show that Europe has a quality jobs emergency and that our social contract is continuing to crumble as the result of growing economic inequality.' Related Where in Europe are workers losing ground as taxes rise faster than wages? Which career in Europe will reward you with the highest salary? Is holiday poverty linked to income? There is a moderately strong negative correlation between the share of workers who cannot afford a one-week holiday away from home and annual net earnings. This means that as net earnings increase, the proportion of workers unable to afford such a holiday tends to decrease. However, since the correlation is moderate, it also indicates that in some countries, this relationship is not strong or does not follow the overall trend as closely. For example, Ireland (€43,897) had one of the highest annual net earnings in the EU in 2023, yet holiday poverty remains comparatively high. In contrast, Slovenia has a low level of holiday poverty among workers, even though the incomes are similar to countries where more people struggle to afford a holiday. Strong correlation between workers and general population By comparing workers (aged 15-64) and the general population aged 16 and over, Euronews Business found a strong correlation: the higher the rate of workers who cannot afford a holiday, the higher it tends to be in the overall population. In 2023, among the general population, the share of people unable to afford a one-week holiday ranged from 11% in Luxembourg to 60% in Romania, while the EU average stood at 29%. This suggests that the rate among the general population is nearly double that of workers. Experts speaking to Euronews Business had noted that differences between countries are largely tied to the strength of their economies. The level of disposable income plays a key role, as it directly affects people's ability to spend on holidays—particularly when looking at figures for the general population. The ETUC calls on national governments to fully implement the Minimum Wage Directive and urges the European Commission to ensure that the Quality Job Package due this year includes legislation to rebalance the economy—making respect for collective bargaining a condition for access to public contracts.
Euronews
6 days ago
- Business
- Euronews
42 million EU workers can't afford holiday: Which countries are worst?
In 2023, 15% of employed people in the EU were unable to afford a one-week holiday away from home. While this percentage might not appear very high at first glance, it represents around 42 million workers. In each of the EU's "Big Four" economies (Germany, France, Spain and Italy), over 5 million workers were unable to afford a week-long holiday according to Eurostat data published by the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC). 'Taking a break with family or friends is important for our physical and mental health, and it is a basic part of the European social contract,' said ETUC General Secretary Esther Lynch, criticising the situation. Holiday poverty among workers continues to rise Holiday poverty among workers is on the rise across the EU, marking the third consecutive annual increase. In 2022, 40.5 million employed people reported being unable to afford a one-week holiday away from home. That number rose to 41.5 million in 2023—an increase of over one million workers in just a year. The share of affected workers grew from 14% to 15%. 'The findings are the result of an increasingly unequal economy, in which workers are forced to give up their holidays due to rising costs for accommodation, transport and food, combined with declining purchasing power and speculation', the ETUC stated. East-West gap in holiday affordability for workers The data reveals a strong disparity in holiday affordability across the EU, particularly between Eastern/Southern Europe and Western/Northern Europe. Romania tops the list, with 32% of workers unable to afford a one-week holiday. Close behind are Hungary (26%), Bulgaria (24%), Portugal and Cyprus (both 23%), and Slovakia (22%). The Nordic countries—Finland, Sweden and Denmark—along with the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Slovenia, report the lowest levels of holiday poverty, ranging between 5% and 7%. Czechia, Austria, and Belgium reported holiday poverty rates at or below 10%. Despite their economic weight, even the EU's largest economies report concerning levels of holiday poverty. Among the EU's Big Four, Spain (18%) and Italy (17%) exceed the EU average of 15%. France (12%) and Germany (11%) fall below the average, but both still remain above 10%. EU's Big Four: Over 5 million workers in each country can't afford a holiday Absolute figures speak louder than percentages. Over 5 million workers in each of the EU's Big Four were unable to afford a holiday in 2023. In Italy, the number stood at 6.2 million, followed by 5.8 million in Germany, 5.6 million in Spain, and 5.1 million in France. Over 3.5 million workers in Romania and Poland also couldn't afford a holiday. This figure was more than 1.5 million in Hungary and Portugal. In Austria and the Netherlands, over 550,000 workers couldn't afford even a one-week holiday despite being employed or having a business. 'After working hard all year, it is the least working people should be able to expect to afford and should not be allowed to become a luxury for the few,' Lynch said. 'However, these figures show that Europe has a quality jobs emergency and that our social contract is continuing to crumble as the result of growing economic inequality.' Is holiday poverty linked to income? There is a moderately strong negative correlation between the share of workers who cannot afford a one-week holiday away from home and annual net earnings. This means that as net earnings increase, the proportion of workers unable to afford such a holiday tends to decrease. However, since the correlation is moderate, it also indicates that in some countries, this relationship is not strong or does not follow the overall trend as closely. For example, Ireland (€43,897) had one of the highest annual net earnings in the EU in 2023, yet holiday poverty remains comparatively high. In contrast, Slovenia has a low level of holiday poverty among workers, even though the incomes are similar to countries where more people struggle to afford a holiday. Strong correlation between workers and general population By comparing workers (aged 15-64) and the general population aged 16 and over, Euronews Business found a strong correlation: the higher the rate of workers who cannot afford a holiday, the higher it tends to be in the overall population. In 2023, among the general population, the share of people unable to afford a one-week holiday ranged from 11% in Luxembourg to 60% in Romania, while the EU average stood at 29%. This suggests that the rate among the general population is nearly double that of workers. Experts speaking to Euronews Business had noted that differences between countries are largely tied to the strength of their economies. The level of disposable income plays a key role, as it directly affects people's ability to spend on holidays—particularly when looking at figures for the general population. The ETUC calls on national governments to fully implement the Minimum Wage Directive and urges the European Commission to ensure that the Quality Job Package due this year includes legislation to rebalance the economy—making respect for collective bargaining a condition for access to public contracts.
Euractiv
01-07-2025
- Health
- Euractiv
Avoidable chronic diseases are Europe's deadliest killers, says Eurostat data
New data from Eurostat show that around 1.1 million deaths per year in Europe could be avoided through smarter public health policies targeting alcohol and tobacco, or better-quality medical care. According to new figures from 2022 released by the EU's official statistics agency on Monday, the deadliest diseases affecting people under 75 in Europe are not caused by viruses, but by chronic health conditions. The agency found that 386,710 deaths were from treatable diseases – avoidable through high-quality medical care – and 725,625 deaths were due to preventable chronic diseases. These include lung cancer, cardiovascular disease, and alcohol-related poisoning. Latvia recorded the highest rate of avoidable deaths, followed by Romania and Hungary. Ranking lowest, however, were Sweden, Italy, and Luxembourg. Since 2010, gaps between western and eastern countries have been growing on tobacco use, obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes, the WHO found in a recent report. These figures come as countries are preparing to debate the topic at the UN General Assembly in New York this September, where they will address targets for reducing noncommunicable diseases by 2030. The World Health Organization's Europe chief, Hans Kluge, has said the bloc can turn things around and has called for 'bold' prevention policies. A workforce issue? Several unions, including ETUC and EPSU, said the figures reflect a broader problem with the bloc's health workforce, linked to cuts in national and EU-level social spending. According to the OECD, the EU faces a shortage of 1.2 million healthcare workers. Esther Lynch, general secretary of ETUC said that 'despite the heroic daily efforts of healthcare workers regularly doing overtime to make-up for huge shortages, these figures show again that austerity kills.' Alessandro Gallina, a policy officer at non-profit European Public Health Alliance, said that the Eurostat figures "underscore a painful truth: prevention remains key to reducing avoidable deaths, yet the EU's health workforce planning still fails to fully embed it." This also comes as health NGOs – many of which focus on prevention – are concerned about their financial future under the EU's next long-term budget. In June, a few countries, including Belgium, Spain, and Slovenia, called for sustained civil society funding in the MFF. Frank Vandenbroucke, Belgium's health minister, said NGO funding would be crucial for prevention work "independent of lobbies" like the tobacco or food industries. (bms, aw)
France 24
01-05-2025
- Politics
- France 24
'All improvements in working practices have been won by working people getting together'
The general secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation has spoken to FRANCE 24 about the importance of May Day, or International Workers' Day. Esther Lynch is in Paris to join the demonstrations here as she says the day is about celebrating how workers' friendship with each other – and their solidarity and unity – have won the rights that have been gained. Her organisation warns, though, that Europe should do more to protect jobs, and ensure it is not bullied out of its social model. She spoke to us in Perspective.
Euronews
30-01-2025
- Business
- Euronews
Unions and NGOs fearful of EU Commission's new business simplification strategy
The Commission wants to liberate businesses from the burden of regulation by 'simplifying' the gamut of European law, but some fear the EU executive's new watchword is a euphemism for deregulation. The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) declined an invitation for 'social partners' to endorse the Competitiveness Compass presented on Wednesday (29 January), saying it had not been consulted on the EU executive's new blueprint for economic growth, and that the plan would 'undermine jobs, rights and standards'. The union umbrella group – while declaring itself 'fully on board' with the need to increase Europe's competitiveness – singled out a call for pensions reforms and measures to promote longer working lives, and said the plan would channel money towards corporations without any social conditions. It also slammed as 'a recipe for disaster' the Commission's resurrection of an old idea for a '28th legal regime' that would allow companies to operate outside the 27 different EU jurisdictions through a supranational system of corporate, insolvency, labour and tax law – in part to address Europe's apparent weakness when it comes to tech start-ups. 'While it's welcome to have a first step towards a European industrial policy, this first draft needs significant negotiation and revision,' ETUC general secretary Esther Lynch said. 'A bonfire of regulations that will make workplaces less safe or force people to work into their seventies isn't going to be what saves companies.' Environmental groups were similarly conflicted about the von der Leyen Commission's new economic strategy – often supporting the aim, but questioning the means. Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe recognised the EU executive's commitment to the 2050 net-zero emissions target, but doubted whether the new Compass would point industry in the right direction. 'While we welcome the Commission's renewed commitment to building out clean energy infrastructure like grids and storage, the Compass falls short on phasing out all fossil fuels — whether from Russia or elsewhere — and fully utilising energy savings, the two missing elements of an affordable, resilient energy system,' CAN Europe head of energy Cornelia Maarfield said. Green groups, meanwhile, were concerned by the near absence of any reference to environmental issues beyond climate action. 'By taking aim at the recently agreed corporate sustainability reporting framework…and hinting at further deregulation across critical policy areas, the Commission threatens to undermine progress on the green transition,' said Ester Asin, director of WWF's European Policy Office. The president of the Greens group in the European Parliament, Bas Eickhout, also applauded the goal of boosting Europe's competitiveness, but argued that this should be done by implementing, not dismantling, the raft of climate and environmental policy adopted under the first von der Leyen Commission. 'We have concerns that the Compass is too narrowly focused on CO2 reduction alone and not on protecting nature,' Eickhout said. 'Inaction on environmental protection and reducing pollution will stymie our competitiveness and growth if it continues to be ignored.' For the director of the influential lobby group BusinessEurope, Markus Beyrer, the Commission had provided the 'clear directions' the EU needs, and must now be followed by 'concrete actions'. 'These actions have to prioritise reducing regulatory burdens and cutting red tape in order to deliver on the promise to make it easier to do business in Europe,' Beyrer said.
