Work week is over
(Photo: PxHere)

Work week is over

The work week is (almost) over. So is our themed week on work –– this past week we focused coverage on pan-European workers and labour issues, if you missed it.

All in all, I have to say that it has been a resounding success, at least in my eyes.

We covered topics ranging from why our wages have stayed the same (for the past 40 years!) while corporate profits surged, to a victory for Swedish healthcare workers, to how better international tax regulation could help alleviate worker shortages.

I hope that this focus will help both policy makers and citizens of Europe recognise and better understand the problems workers on our continent are facing.

The next step is to continue this focus on EUobserver in a dedicated section on work. Stay tuned.

If you missed out on our coverage, I'll put a selection of the articles we published this week down below. And if you want to read more, head to our Work Week page to find every article we published these past 5 days.

My gratitude goes out to all those who contributed to this week. And I look forward to our next themed week –– on the desirability (or not) of economic growth.

Next week, we'll be back on our normal schedule.


Why wages fell and profits surged

While disposable income has dropped for the third consecutive year in some EU countries, corporations made record-high profits. We sat down with political economist Mark Blyth to discuss why that is.

Read it.

The EU Commission has written a blank cheque to corporate CEOs

While president Joe Biden has made the creation of "good-paying, union jobs" a priority, the European Union is pursuing deregulatory policies more akin to those of his predecessor, Donald Trump.

Read it.

How France subverts collective bargaining to favour Big Tech platforms

As the EU is heading towards a bloc-wide law strengthening rights of platform workers, Paris hopes to avoid the future directive by introducing collective bargaining between gig-workers' representatives and the platforms.

Read it.

Can European governments kick their consulting habit?

As states increasingly outsource tasks to consultancies, this 'consultancy culture' contributes to the phenomenon of staff leaving the public sector for the private sector, only to return to the public sector as private consultants –– hollowing out government expertise and capacity for policy-making.

Read it.

Leaving women behind in labour leads to economic loss

"It's important, especially in times of crisis, that we look at the benefits of gender equality," Carlien Scheele, the director of the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) said, adding that losing women in the labour market is a "shame". A shame that costs the EU billions.

Read it.

'Healthcare drain': the EU's market-based medic migration migraine

While there is a shortage of healthcare workers all over Europe, wealthier European countries are recruiting healthcare workers from other parts of Europe. With dire consequences.

Read it.

How can EU labour markets adapt to Ukrainian refugees in years to come?

The EU's response has been swift and coordinated, but will need adjustments to be sustainable in the long term if they want to effectively adapt their markets to Ukrainian workers.

Read it.

The 'digital frontier worker', a response to address EU labour shortages

Telework in the EU has a growth potential of up to 49%—what if a status was created to work from any EU country without major bureaucratic hurdles?

Read it.

For France's 3m 'precarious workers', retirement age row is a sideshow

For France's over three million 'precarious workers' the retirement age has long been 67 — if they ever do retire.

Read it.


As always, thank you to all new subscribers to this newsletter, and also as always, my various inboxes are open for feedback, suggestions, tips, leaks, ideas and gossip.

See you next week,

Alejandro

CHESTER SWANSON SR.

Next Trend Realty LLC./wwwHar.com/Chester-Swanson/agent_cbswan

1 年

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