Today we're focusing on the second of our five European election 2019 demands: a move in a social direction for the EU. 

The past decades have seen a rise in income and social inequality. Austerity policies and deregulation of labour markets have put enormous stress on our societies. They have led to unemployment and poverty. This trend must stop. 

Confidence in the European project will only return if Europe contributes to creating a fairer and more equal society. The EU must support an effective and fair redistribution of wealth and opportunities and put social rights at the same level as economic freedoms.  In this way it must become a real social union as much as it is an economic union.

industriAll Europe demands:

• Concrete and swift implementation of the principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights.
  
  
• A reliable social safety net must be available to all workers across the EU. They deserve a decent protection against social risks: unemployment, health, age, accidents at work.
  
  
• Fair and progressive income taxation.      
  
  
• Equal pay and equal working conditions.
  
  
• Decent pensions at a retirement age that is compatible with a healthy life expectancy and which takes the harshness and difficulties of working conditions into account.
  
  
• To fight against social dumping.
  
  
• Fair taxation by progressive tax systems, fight against tax avoidance and evasion, a European system of corporate taxation, cracking down on tax havens and letterbox companies.
  
  
• Fair trade by strong and enforceable chapters on labour rights in bilateral trade agreements, effective instruments to fight unfair trade practices, multilateral rules to create a fair level playing field to avoid a global race to the bottom.

You can read our full manifesto in: English - French - German and support our manifesto by clicking here.