Guidelines to strengthen collective bargaining

The EU’s Directive on Adequate Minimum Wages, which came into force in 2022, is a major step forward for workers’ rights. To help trade unions make the most of this opportunity, UNI Europa has produced a comprehensive set of guidelines aimed at supporting collective action and strengthening bargaining systems.

These guidelines are a practical tool to help trade unions in:

• understanding how the directive strengthens the case for collective bargaining as the primary mechanism for setting fair pay;
• using the directive to extend collective bargaining coverage and fill gaps in pay bargaining systems;
• advocating for robust national action plans that prioritising sectoral agreements and protect workers’ rights;
• equipping trade unions with strategies to hold governments into account in implementing the directive;
• potecting workers and trade union representatives by ensuring that fair conditions are maintained during negotiations.

This report aims to highlight the potential of the directive while providing clear, actionable steps for trade unions to win better pay and conditions.

Download the guidelines here.

Further resources can be found below:

• UNI Europa report on the transposition of the minimum wage directive
• ETUC monitoring tool on the transposition
• UNI Europa report: ‘Time for Action’
• IndustriAll Europa’s report on ‘how to make the most of the minimum wage directive’