The Conference brought together over 600 union leaders from across Europe to mark 25 years of UNI Europa – and chart the path forward.
Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Micky Murray , welcomed delegates with a message of inclusion: “I’m delighted to say that our city welcomes people. We are delighted to have trade union activist leaders from all across Europe here with us in Belfast.”
Addressing the Conference, Northern Ireland’s First Minister Michelle O’Neill praised the vital role unions play in delivering social justice. “Solidarity is at the heart of the trade union movement,” she said. “I want to be a guiding light and work with the trade union movement. I want to build a fair, prosperous and just society.”
CWU General Secretary Dave Ward invoked the legacy of the Good Friday Agreement, now 27 years old, and its lessons for unity in action: “Progress has been made. But now we must unite again: to stop the rise of the far right across Europe, to tackle the challenges of climate change and AI, to build a new model of collective bargaining.” He concluded: “Collectivism must always be at the heart of everything.”
Gerry Murphy , Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) Assistant General Secretary , reflected on Belfast’s transformation: “Not long ago our biggest export was people. Now, thousands of skilled workers are coming to Belfast with their families to build careers. Our mission is to be a beacon for collective bargaining and progressive employment practices.”
Jim Furey, Assistant General and Divisional Organiser of Mandate Trade Union , underlined the importance of legislative change in Ireland: “We are proud members of the Respect at Work campaign, which aims to improve legislation on collective bargaining in the Republic of Ireland.”
At the same time, Susan Fitzgerald , Regional Secretary for UNITE the Union in Ireland , cautioned against an overreliance on legislate change: “Legal rights mean little on their own – bargaining must be done from a position of strength. And we do this through organising.”
Annika Rönni-Sällinen from PAM , Finland, emphasised structural transformation: “We have changed our organisation so that collective bargaining experts and organisers are in the same team. We need to repeat our message again and again until it sticks.”
Sandra Steiner from GPA , Austria, highlighted the importance of inclusive strategy and media visibility: “Our cooperation with EPOC helped us win a strong collective agreement. We realised we weren’t fully addressing women’s demands in the sector—so we changed course and made it public. Employers were surprised by how many workers we mobilised.”
From Ireland, Gareth Murphy of the Financial Services Union shared tangible success stories: “Union renewal is about rebuilding membership – and strategy. Organising isn’t one department, it’s a union-wide effort.” He noted that since working with UNI Europa’s European Power and Organising Centre (EPOC), FSU has doubled its annual membership growth to over 1,000 new members per year, while expanding into new sectors like games and securing pioneering agreements, including one on artificial intelligence in banking.
A second organising panel, moderated by Daniel Hugli from Syndicom , Switzerland, showcased how sector-based campaigns are transforming the landscape for workers across Europe. Silke Zimmer from ver.di , Germany, shared the long fight to improve conditions at Amazon: “With Amazon came the hope for good jobs, but what arrived was a culture of surveillance and pressure. Our first strikes were in 2013 – today we’re in 13 facilities. We fought for – and won – basic rights like toilet breaks and water access.”
Malgorzata Szulc from OPZZ-KP, Poland, discussed the union’s pioneering role in tech: “We were the first to organise at Accenture in Poland. Now, we’re building TechForce – an alliance of tech unions.” She emphasised the impact of cross-sector training: “Most of our active unionists have taken part. That’s how we build capacity across the economy.”
Florentin Iancu from SITT in Romania highlighted a major victory at Auchan: “It took nearly three years, but through issue-based organising, we built our union and achieved a collective agreement. This win proves that with the right approach, it is possible – even in the most challenging environments.”
Alke Boessiger, Deputy General Secretary of UNI Global Union introduced a new initiative aimed at ensuring corporate accountability through labour rights. “The Competence Center for Human Rights Due Diligence is made possible through strong collaboration among all project partners and the financial support of the German government and their development agency, GIZ,” she said. “Our mission is to ensure that human rights due diligence strengthens respect for workers’ rights – particularly by enabling freedom of association and collective bargaining.”
Peter Hellberg of Unionen said: “25 years ago, Unionen didn’t exist. Now, UNI Europa is our common organisation and a strong voice for workers. I believe the next 25 years will be just as successful.”
Christy Hoffman , General Secretary of UNI Global Union, closed the opening session with a powerful message: “We have supported countless unions over the past 25 years. But we must – and we will – become even stronger in the next 25.”
Echoing that call, Oliver Roethig , UNI Europa Regional Secretary, said: “UNI Europa is about a strong labour movement and making a difference for services workers.”
As the Conference continues through the week, the focus remains clear: building power through unity, expanding collective bargaining, and organising to win dignity, fairness, and justice for all workers in Europe’s service sectors.