(28 April, 2025) Today is Workers’ Memorial Day. We commemorate all those workers who have lost their lives at work. On this day, we cannot separate their memories from the legislative challenges facing workers in the European Union.
Workers’ lives are protected by national and European legislation. Health and safety laws are a achievement of the international labour movement – particularly in the EU, where there is a strong legal basis in the European Treaties to protect workers. However, these protections are in danger.
The current European Commission is leading an attack on its own rules and regulations in the name of ‘simplification’ – better known as deregulation – with the stated goal of making Europe more ‘competitive’. Numerous protections introduced to safeguard the environment, public health, working conditions, and other crucial aspects of our lives are now at risk. Prominent voices within the European Commission, including President von der Leyen, argue that these rules undermine Europe’s competitiveness. We are witnessing a dangerous pivot towards dismantling the European social model and all the protections it has developed for workers.
From chemical safety (the REACH Regulation) and data privacy (GDPR) to social and environmental corporate reporting, everything appears up for sacrifice to make businesses more competitive. For EPSU, true competitiveness begins with well-funded, quality public services: schools, hospitals, transport infrastructure, universities, and public administration. Prioritising corporate interests over human dignity must be stopped.
EPSU is proud to have negotiated with the employers European rules to protect healthcare workers from injuries from sharp objects. Equally important EU rules provide firefighters with standards for adequate Personal Protective Equipment and regular health checks and protect waste workers from exposure to hazardous substances, among so many other protections for so many workers.
Workers do not need health and safety regulations to be rolled back in the name of ‘competitiveness’ and ‘simplification’. On the contrary, the changing world of work – from teleworking and digitalisation to artificial intelligence and platform work – demands new protections to face new realities. A new ETUI study reveals that workplace stress is responsible for over 10,000 deaths in Europe each year. More than ever, workers need a dedicated directive addressing psychosocial risks.
EPSU will be at the forefront of the fight against the EU’s deregulation agenda. Workers deserve strong protections fit for the future – not weakened rules designed solely for corporate gain.
