Building capacity for inclusive collective bargaining

In countries with high collective bargaining coverage, the transposition of the Minimum Wage Directive presents both unique opportunities and challenges for trade unions in the services sector. While collective bargaining remains robust in these countries, unions still face ongoing struggles with union busting, yellow unions, and ensuring access to workplaces for union representatives.

To address these issues, a workshop took place in Bergamo, Italy, on 11-12 September within the framework of the BC4CB project bringing together 22 trade union representatives from countries such as Italy, Spain, Sweden, and Finland. The goal of the workshop was to support unions in leveraging the Directive to strengthen their position, particularly around issues such as public procurement, promoting sectoral bargaining, and protecting employee representatives.

One participant highlighted the importance of cross-border collaboration, stating, “I learned that the problems workers face are very similar across all countries, and this is why it’s crucial to coordinate with other European unions.” Another attendee emphasised the practical aspect of the workshop: “The directive contains many useful details, even for countries where minimum wages are regulated by collective agreements.”

The workshop was structured in an interactive and engaging manner, which was widely appreciated by participants. As one participant noted, “It was a very active training, without long and heavy presentations, allowing for a lot of interaction between participants—the best part of the session.” 

This event is part of UNI Europa’s ongoing effort to build capacity and strengthen collective bargaining within the services sector. The workshop provided an opportunity for participants to share experiences, strategies, and tools to effectively use the Minimum Wage Directive to advance workers’ interests in countries with high levels of collective bargaining coverage. As one participant reflected, “We should use the resources we have within the union to strengthen the position of our delegates and negotiate more Collective Bargaining Agreements.”

This workshop marks another step in UNI Europa’s commitment to promoting strong, multi-employer bargaining systems across Europe, as participants continue to develop strategies to leverage the Directive for lasting, positive change in their respective countries.

For more information please see our organising page.

For more information contact Andoni Iriondo, Project coordinator for organising and collective bargaining.

This project is supported by the European Commission and will run until 2026.