Democracy at work, pay and working life Quality jobs have been identified as a policy priority for the European Union on several occasions. The goal is not only about getting people into employment; these jobs should also be feasible and safe, they should increase the competences of the employee... Find out more

Democracy at work: moreproductive employees, a higherlabour force participation rate andmore innovative companies A typical criticism of democracy at work is that, according to economic theory, it is by definition inefficient. According to this line of thinking, workers will use any power they have... Find out more

Democracy at work makes companies more sustainable When workers are represented on a company’s board, their company is generally more sustainable vis-à-vis workers, the environment, and society as a whole (Vitols and Kluge 2011). Companies with board-level employee representation (BLER) score better... Find out more

Greater worker involvement at the workplace means more equal societies The 2018 World Inequality Report found that in ‘recent decades, income inequality has increased in nearly all countries, but at different speeds, suggesting that institutions and policies matter in shaping inequality’ (Alvaredo... Find out more

Civic democracy and democracy at work are two sides of the same coin There is another side to the work-life balance: what happensat work does not stay there. Experiences and activities at work influence those outside the workplace and vice versa. Privately gained competences are used professionally... Find out more

The many reasons for democracy at work Self-determination, personal autonomy, and emancipation are all fundamental human aspirations. Yet despite decades of attempts to develop industrial democracy institutions, employees still experience alienation at work under advanced capitalism at levels that... Find out more

Some first national attempts to strengthen bargaining coverage Principle 8 of the EPSR contains the explicit commitment to encourage the collective bargaining actors ‘to negotiateand conclude agreements in matters relevant to them, while respecting their autonomy and the right to collective action’... Find out more

Sustained minimum wage growth and convergence Figures 3.8 shows that 2018 was the third successive year in which statutory national minimum wages grew dynamically. In 18 out of the 22 EU countries with a statutory minimum wage, increases were introduced, with effect from 1 January 2019. In the UK... Find out more

The erosion of trust in the EU In the field of wages and collective bargaining, the European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR) contains two important commitments. First of all, Principle 6 is on the right of workers‘ to fair wages that provide for a decent living standard’ and ensuring ‘adequate... Find out more

One year after the launch of the European Pillar of Social Rights, where are we now? In response to the mounting challenges faced by European citizens, on 17 November 2017, the European Commission, Council and Parliament jointly proclaimed the European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR), a commitment to... Find out more