Saturday

25th Mar 2023

May day protests planned in several European cities

Demonstrations linked to the Occupy movement have been announced in Amsterdam, Athens, Barcelona and London for International Workers' Day on (Tuesday) 1 May.

The European Trade Unions' Confederation (ETUC) said it wants to mark 1 May as a day of youth employment and social justice. It said austerity measures have resulted in an insecure labour market, especially among young people.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Become an expert on Europe

Get instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

  • Trade unions: 'Low salaries do not pave the way to growth' (Photo: Ojo Espejo)

"Making jobs unsecure, and especially jobs for young people, is not a solution to the crisis. Flexible employment contracts and low salaries do not pave the way to growth," said ETUC general secretary Bernadette Segol in a statement.

In a 1 May speech in Copenhagen, Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt and current chair of the EU presidency, adopted the German line on austerity.

Praising Danish workers for reining in salary negotiations, she said: "They know that it costs jobs and thins out the order books if wages rise more in Denmark than in the countries we compete with.

Europe currently has one of the highest unemployment rates since the introduction of the euro in 1999. Nearly 24 million Europeans are jobless with some 5.5 million young people among them.

The problem is acute in Spain, where one in four Spaniards are unemployed.

The El Pais newspaper reported that some 70,000 protestors gathered in Madrid on Sunday.

Spanish centre-right Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy told them that cuts would continue as Madrid slashes government spending to get its deficit from 8.5 percent of GDP down to 3 percent next year.

Spain's indignados have planned a global day of protests on 12 May. A website supporting the movement has already announced hundreds of protests throughout Europe.

Eurozone unemployment hits new record

Eurozone unemployment reached 10.8 percent in February, the highest level since the currency was introduced in 1999. Youngsters remain the most affected, with every second Spaniard under 25 unable to find a job.

MEPs press EU Commission over Qatari-paid business-class flights

Pro-transparency MEPs are asking probing questions into possible conflict of interest between a senior EU commission official and Qatar, following revelations his business class trips were paid by Doha while negotiating a market access deal for its national airline.

Opinion

Turkey's election — the Erdoğan vs Kılıçdaroğlu showdown

Turkey goes to the polls in May for both a new parliament and new president, after incumbent Recep Tayyip Erdoğan decided against a post-earthquake postponement. The parliamentary outcome is easy to predict — the presidential one less so.

Latest News

  1. EU's new critical raw materials act could be a recipe for conflict
  2. Okay, alright, AI might be useful after all
  3. Von der Leyen pledges to help return Ukrainian children
  4. EU leaders agree 1m artillery shells for Ukraine
  5. Polish abortion rights activist vows to appeal case
  6. How German business interests have shaped EU climate agenda
  7. The EU-Turkey migration deal is dead on arrival at this summit
  8. Sweden worried by EU visa-free deal with Venezuela

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Nordic Council of MinistersNordic and Baltic ways to prevent gender-based violence
  2. Nordic Council of MinistersCSW67: Economic gender equality now! Nordic ways to close the pension gap
  3. Nordic Council of MinistersCSW67: Pushing back the push-back - Nordic solutions to online gender-based violence
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersCSW67: The Nordics are ready to push for gender equality
  5. Promote UkraineInvitation to the National Demonstration in solidarity with Ukraine on 25.02.2023
  6. Azerbaijan Embassy9th Southern Gas Corridor Advisory Council Ministerial Meeting and 1st Green Energy Advisory Council Ministerial Meeting

Join EUobserver

Support quality EU news

Join us