The European Free Alliance wishes a happy May 1st to all!
The 1st of May marks International Workers’ Day, commemorating the struggles and achievements of workers and labour movements across the world in advancing workers’ rights and conditions. For the European Free Alliance, social justice is a key part of our political programme and an integral part of creating fair and equal workplaces and labour markets.
We believe that all peoples are alike in dignity and their diversity. As a party working on behalf of a number of minority and underrepresented communities across Europe, we fight against any form of discrimination and promote a more equitable distribution of resources. The EU must give more guarantees for social justice, but all too often it sides with vested interests, big corporations and large Member States.
Given the current context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the nature and future of work is a topic which is being widely discussed. Traditional patterns of work have been completely disrupted. This extraordinary situation must be taken as an opportunity to create better, healthier, and more balanced workplaces and jobs for all.
Europe-wide solidarity mechanisms should combat child poverty, gender inequalities, youth discrimination and social exclusion in many other policy fields. And the fight against unfair tax avoidance and evasion is central to this.
It has become clear that many jobs that are underpaid or very precarious are the true essential services for our societies. The challenge now is to ensure their protection, to improve their working conditions and to grant dignity to those who have performed their duties in extremely testing times. There must be a strong focus on those workers who face additional discrimination on grounds of gender, age, and language.
EFA supports the European Pillar of Social Rights, an initiative launched by the European Commission in 2017. It aims at creating a fairer and more inclusive European Union through ensuring effective rights for citizens, the principles of which fall into 3 categories:
- Equal opportunities and access to the labour market;
- Fair working conditions;
- Social protection and inclusion.
Only united we can we work together to build a Europe of all Peoples. The European Free Alliance would like to wish a happy May 1st to all.
Read the EFA Manifesto chapter on social justice