End the race to the bottom and protect the EU Minimum Wage Directive

Topics Economic Justice Categories Press releases Share Today, the Advocate General of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) issued an opinion advocating for the annulment of the EU Minimum Wage Directive, adopted in 2021. The EU Minimum Wage Directive extends beyond minimum wage, addressing the requirement for member states to develop action plans to promote collective bargaining and to take measures to prevent anti-union activities. This opinion is a dangerous step towards dismantling key protections for workers across Europe. It aligns with the European Commission’s competitiveness agenda, which cares more about profit over people. We must harmonize upwards, this race to the bottom must end. We cannot afford to wait. In this time of social crisis, it is more important than ever to make the dignity of workers a priority. We cannot allow the European Commission and Member states to use this opinion as an excuse for inaction. The Left unequivocally opposes this broken system that puts corporate greed ahead of workers’ rights. Europe must no longer be driven by deregulation and profit-hungry corporations. Economic justice is not charity; it is a right. Left MEP and Chair of the EMPL Committee Li Andersson (Vasemmistoliitto, Finland) commented: “The Minimum Wage Directive has been one of the most important pieces of EU legislation for decades and has already now created action to raise minimum wages and strengthen collective bargaining in many Member States. The...