“Every year on 1 May, people all over the world celebrate International Workers’ Day, also known as Labour Day. What began as a yearly strike movement has developed into a public holiday celebrating social achievements for workers. […] But Labour Day is not only about celebrating achievements. It also serves as a reminder that a well-functioning social market economy is not a given and the rules need to be updated, in light of continuously changing technologies that impact our economies and societies. […] In November 2017, the first Social Summit in 20 years took place in Gothenburg. There, the European Parliament, the Member States and the European Commission proclaimed the European Pillar of Social Rights, a series of 20 principles and rights supporting opportunities for people to have access to training, education and lifelong learning; good working conditions and effective welfare systems. Now it is time to make sure these principles and rights become a reality on the ground. […] Delivering on the Pillar and its principles is a joint effort. We need everyone on board: Our Member States, the European Parliament, social partners, and last but not least civil society. I look forward to working with all of them to make sure that in the coming years, we can make clear that economic and social progress reinforce each other and that we have a reason to celebrate International Worker’s Day.”
The full statement is available here.
