Trade union rights must be at the heart of EU wage and social convergence as well as future enlargement

At a high-level conference in Vienna, CETUN brought together leading trade unionists, social partners, policymakers and researchers to address the state of workers’ rights and social dialogue across Central and Eastern Europe. The conference further marked the end of the first EU co-funded CETUN project's runtime (2024-2026).

Representing both national and European trade union perspectives, Wolfgang Katzian, President of ÖGB and ETUC, warned of a worrying decline in trade union rights across parts of the region. He stressed that effective Social Dialogue and strong collective bargaining systems must be strengthened within the EU and become central benchmarks in EU accession negotiations.

ÖGB - Roland de Roo

Enlargement must deliver for workers

This concern was echoed by Čedanka Andrić, President of UGS Nezavisnost and Vice President of the ETUC, who highlighted both the opportunities and potential shortcomings of the enlargement process. While EU accession can act as a driver for reform, weakened systems of Social Dialogue continue to limit tangible improvements for workers.

Similarly, Róbert Zlati, President of MASZSZ, pointed to shrinking structures of worker representation in Hungary. His intervention illustrated a broader regional trend in which the institutional framework for effective Social Dialogue and collective bargaining is eroding, raising concerns about democratic participation in the world of work.

From a state perspective, Korinna Schumann, Austria's Federal Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, emphasised that EU enlargement must go hand in hand with concrete improvements in working and living conditions.

In their opening remarks, Beate Meinl-Reisinger, Austria’s Federal Minister for European and International Affairs, called for a renewed focus on sustainable growth and shared prosperity, while Jürgen Czernohorszky, the City of Vienna’s Executive Councillor for Democracy, underlined the importance of strengthening social cohesion across Europe.

Evidence-based cooperation across borders

A key contribution to the discussions was a comparative study conducted by the Central European Labour Studies Institute (CELSI). The study provided insights into industrial relations in nine Central European countries and highlighted both common challenges and potential areas for improvement and coordinated action.

Beyond research, the EU co-funded CETUN project has facilitated regular exchanges, joint resolutions, and mutual learning processes among trade unions in the region. This practical cooperation helps build shared positions and strengthens the capacity of trade unions to engage with European-level policymaking and Social Dialogue. At its core, CETUN seeks to address structural challenges such as declining collective bargaining coverage, unequal wage development, and weak Social Dialogue in several countries of the region. Importantly, CETUN also acts as a bridge between trade unions in EU Member States and those in candidate countries. In doing so, it contributes to aligning expectations and standards, ensuring that the social dimension of enlargement is not sidelined. Strengthening workers’ rights early in the accession process is seen as a crucial condition for promoting upward wage and social convergence on the one hand and preventing social dumping int the other hand.

ÖGB - Roland de Roo

A clear message for Europe’s future

As the European Union prepares for potential future enlargement, the conference sent a clear message: workers’ rights, fair wages, and meaningful Social Dialogue cannot be treated as secondary concerns. They are essential foundations for a stable, democratic, and resilient Europe. They must be cornerstones of the social model of current and future EU member states.