Over 170 MEPs call for public contracts to only go to decent employers

Over 170 MEPs call for public contracts to only go to decent employers

#ProcuringDecentWork: ? MEPs back essential workers!

Members of the European Parliament from 5 different political groups want to only allow public contracts to go to companies that have collective agreements with their workers. Cleaners, call centre workers, nursing home workers, security guards and other essential workers would stand to benefit most from this measures. “Public contracts should not go to companies that seek a competitive advantage by suppressing workers’ say and driving poverty wages and sub-standard working conditions. Decent pay and working conditions are in the public interest,” reads the MEPs’ declaration. Find our more: https://www.uni-europa.org/news/procuringdecentwork-updated-list-of-mep-endorsements/

Posted by UNI Europa on Tuesday, November 30, 2021

Members of the European Parliament from 5 different political groups want to only allow public contracts to go to companies that have collective agreements with their workers. Cleaners, call centre workers, nursing home workers, security guards and other essential workers would stand to benefit most from this measures.

“Public contracts should not go to companies that seek a competitive advantage by suppressing workers’ say and driving poverty wages and sub-standard working conditions. Decent pay and working conditions are in the public interest,” reads the MEPs’ declaration.

€2 trillion is spent every year by governments and public institutions across the EU for goods and services delivered by private corporations. The rules which determine how this money is spent have a direct impact on working people’s conditions. “That is 13% of the EU’s GDP. This money can be used as a force for the good”, explained MEP Agnes Jongerius.

Currently however, this money often fuels the race to the bottom. The EU’s public procurement rules are skewed to favour price over all other considerations. Alarmingly, over half of all public contracts granted by EU governments are allocated solely on the basis of lowest-price. This means quality of service or people’s working conditions are not even considering. “Too often, the working people who actually do the work are the ones who pay the price,” commented MEP Dennis Radtke.

Under these circumstances, corporations consistently turn to undercutting workers’ conditions by suppressing their say at work. This has fuelled the fact that cleaners, call centre workers, nursing home workers, logistics and postal workers, security guards are among the lowest paid and most precarious in the EU.

The group of MEPs are calling for a clear political undertaking by the European Commission for this simple change now, followed by a swift legislative initiative. This echoes a call by 106 trade unions earlier this year. Among the 152 MEPs are Iratxe Garcia Perez, President of the Socialists & Democrats group, Philippe Lamberts, co-President of the Greens/EFA, and Manon Aubry and Martin Schirdewan, co-Presidents of the Left GUE/NGL.

“These changes would deliver huge improvements for essential workers. Public procurement rules have set the scene for the proliferation of cut-throat competition. This is driving poverty pay as well as unsafe staffing levels and chronic equipment shortages. There is a heightened recognition of the essential nature of the work these people do. Now is the time for the EU to take action to ensure working people can live in dignity while delivering quality services,” said Oliver Roethig, Regional Secretary of UNI Europa.

For more details and an overview of some case studies, UNI Europa has also today released an accompanying snapshot report entitled Put your money where your mouth is.

Want to back the campaign? Show you support here!

List of MEPs who have signed:

  1. Agnes Jongerius, Netherlands, Socialists & Democrats
  2. Marianne Vind, Denmark, Socialists & Democrats
  3. Leïla Chaibi, France, The Left – GUE/NGL
  4. Kira Marie Peter-Hansen, Denmark, Greens/EFA
  5. Cindy Franssen, Belgium, EPP
  6. Katrin Langensiepen, Germany, Greens/EFA
  7. Ibán García del Blanco, Spain, Socialists & Democrats
  8. Nikolaj Villumsen, Denmark, The Left – GUE/NGL
  9. Estrella Durá Ferrandis, Spain, Socialists & Democrats
  10. Ernest Urtasun, Spain, Greens/EFA
  11. Andreas Schieder, Austria, Socialists & Democrats
  12. Sira Rego, Spain, The Left – GUE/NGL
  13. Manuel Pineda, Spain, The Left – GUE/NGL
  14. Eero Heinäluoma, Finland, Socialists & Democrats
  15. Kim van Sparrentak, Netherlands, Greens/EFA
  16. Gabriele Bischoff, Germany, Socialists & Democrats
  17. Tiemo Wölken, Germany, Socialists & Democrats
  18. Marc Tarabella, Belgium, Socialists & Democrats
  19. Clare Daly, Ireland, The Left – GUE/NGL
  20. Sara Matthieu, Belgium, Greens/EFA
  21. Mounir Satouri, France, Greens/EFA
  22. Anna Cavazzini, Germany, Greens/EFA
  23. Marc Botenga, Belgium, The Left – GUE/NGL
  24. Saskia Bricmont, Belgium, Greens/EFA
  25. Kathleen Van Brempt, Belgium, Socialists & Democrats
  26. Özlem Alev Demirel, Germany, The Left – GUE/NGL
  27. Malin Björk, Sweden, The Left – GUE/NGL
  28. Manon Aubry, France, The Left – GUE/NGL
  29. Anne Sophie Pelletier, France, The Left – GUE/NGL
  30. Romeo Franz, Germany, Greens/EFA
  31. Alexandra Geese, Germany, Greens/EFA
  32. María Eugenia Rodríguez Palop, Spain, The Left – GUE/NGL
  33. Rasmus Andresen, Germany, Greens/EFA
  34. Niklas Nienaß, Germany, Greens/EFA
  35. Pierrette Herzberger-Fofana, Germany, Greens/EFA
  36. Evelyn Regner, Austria, Socialists & Democrats
  37. Theresa Reintke, Germany, Greens/EFA
  38. Erik Marquardt, Germany, Greens/EFA
  39. Sirpa Pietikäinen, Finland, EPP
  40. Sylvie Guillaume, France, Socialists & Democrats
  41. Jens Geier, Germany, Socialists & Democrats
  42. Heidi Hautala, Finland, Greens/EFA
  43. Ignazio Corrao, Italy, Greens/EFA
  44. Pedro Marques, Portugal, Socialists & Democrats
  45. Manuel Pizarro*, Portugal, Socialists & Democrats
  46. Predrag Fred Matić, Croatia, Socialists & Democrats
  47. Chris MacManus, Ireland, The Left – GUE/NGL
  48. Alviina Alametsä, Finland, Greens/EFA
  49. Maria Noich, Germany, Socialists & Democrats
  50. Isabel Carvalhais, Portugal, Socialists & Democrats
  51. Paul Tang, Netherlands, Socialists & Democrats
  52. Alícia Homs Ginel, Spain, Socialists & Democrats
  53. Jutta Paulus, Germany, Greens/EFA
  54. Hannah Neumann, Germany, Greens/EFA
  55. Dimitrios Papadimoulis, Greece, The Left – GUE/NGL
  56. César Luena, Spain, Socialists & Democrats
  57. Marie Toussaint, France, Greens/EFA
  58. Philippe Lamberts, Belgium, Greens/EFA
  59. Lina Galvez, Spain, Socialists & Democrats
  60. Delara Burkhardt, Germany, Socialists & Democrats
  61. Margrete Auken, Denmark, Greens/EFA
  62. Daniel Freund, Germany, Greens/EFA
  63. Marisa Matias, Portugal, The Left – GUE/NGL
  64. José Gusmão, Portugal, The Left – GUE/NGL
  65. Cyrus Engerer, Malta, Socialists & Democrats
  66. Alfred Sant, Malta, Socialists & Democrats
  67. Tomas Waitz, Austria, Greens/EFA
  68. Johan Danielsson*, Sweden, Socialists & Democrats
  69. Sara Cerdas, Portugal, Socialists & Democrats
  70. Alex Agius Saliba, Malta, Socialists & Democrats
  71. Raphaël Glucksmann, France, Socialists & Democrats
  72. Evelyne Gebhardt*, Germany, Socialists & Democrats
  73. Aurore Lalucq, France, Socialists & Democrat
  74. Martin Häusling, Germany, Greens/EFA
  75. Tsvetelina Penkova, Bulgaria, Socialists & Democrats
  76. Reinhard Bütikofer, Germany, Greens/EFA
  77. Niels Fuglsang, Denmark, Socialists & Democrats
  78. Hannes Heide, Austria, Socialists & Democrats
  79. Cornelia Ernst, Germany, The Left – GUE/NGL
  80. Mick Wallace, Ireland, The Left – GUE/NGL
  81. Günther Sidl, Austria, Socialists & Democrats
  82. Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan, Ireland, The Left – GUE/NGL
  83. Vera Tax, Netherlands, Socialists & Democrats
  84. Manuel Bompard*, France, The Left – GUE/NGL
  85. Yannick Jadot, France, Greens/EFA
  86. Pierre Larrouturou, France, Socialists & Democrats
  87. Milan Brglez, Slovenia, Socialists & Democrats
  88. Dennis Radtke, Germany, EPP
  89. Irena Joveva, Slovenia, Renew
  90. Inmaculada Rodríguez-Piñero, Spain, Socialists & Democrats
  91. Damien Carême, France, Greens/EFA
  92. Giuliano Pisapia, Italy, Socialists & Democrats
  93. Brando Benifei, Italy, Socialists & Democrats
  94. Joachim Schuster, Germany, Socialists & Democrats
  95. Daniela Rondinelli, Italy, Indepedent
  96. Christel Schaldemose, Denmark, Socialists & Democrats
  97. Cristina Maestre, Spain, Socialists & Democrats
  98. Pierfrancesco Majorino*, Italy, Socialists & Democrats
  99. Elisabetta Gualmini, Italy, Socialists & Democrats
  100. Iratxe García Pérez, Spain, Socialists & Democrats
  101. Monika Vana, Austria, Greens/EFA
  102. Maria Manuel Leitão Marques, Portugal, Socialists & Democrats
  103. Kateřina Konečná, Czech Republic, The Left – GUE/NGL
  104. Eleonora Evi*, Italy, Greens/EFA
  105. Helmut Scholz, Germany, The Left – GUE/NGL
  106. Martin Schirdewan, Germany, The Left – GUE/NGL
  107. Josianne Cutajar, Malta, Socialists & Democrats
  108. Tilly Metz, Luxembourg, Greens/EFA
  109. Anja Hazekamp, Netherlands, The Left – GUE/NGL
  110. Birgit Sippel, Germany, Socialists & Democrats
  111. Udo Bullmann, Germany, Socialists & Democrats
  112. René Repasi, Germany, Socialists & Democrats
  113. Katarina Barley, Germany, Socialists & Democrats
  114. Ismail Ertug*, Germany, Socialists & Democrats
  115. Dietmar Köster, Germany, Socialists & Democrats
  116. Nora Mebarek, France, Socialists & Democrats
  117. Eric Andrieu*, France, Socialists & Democrats
  118. David Cormand, France, Greens/EFA
  119. Marie Arena, Belgium, Socialists & Democrats
  120. Mohammed Chahim, Netherlands, Socialists & Democrats
  121. Michael Bloss, Germany, Greens/EFA
  122. Thijs Reuten, Netherlands, Socialists & Democrats
  123. Lara Wolters, Netherlands, Socialists & Democrats
  124. Patrizia Toia, Italy, Socialists & Democrats
  125. Bas Eickhout, Netherlands, Greens/EFA
  126. Caroline Roose, France, Greens/EFA
  127. Gwendoline Delbos-Corfield, France, Greens/EFA
  128. Claude Gruffat, France, Greens/EFA
  129. Irene Tinagli, Italy, Socialists & Democrats
  130. Michèle Rivasi, France, Greens/EFA
  131. Younous Omarjee, France, The Left – GUE/NGL
  132. Idoia Villanueva, Spain, The Left – GUE/NGL
  133. Miguel Urbán Crespo, Spain, The Left – GUE/NGL
  134. Marina Mesure, France, The Left – GUE/NGL
  135. Konstantinos Arvanitis, Greece, The Left – GUE/NGL
  136. Matjaž Nemec, Slovenia, Socialists and Democrats
  137. Miapetra Kumpula-Natri, Finland, Socialists and Democrats
  138. Diana Riba I Giner, Spain, Greens/EFA
  139. João Albuquerque, Portugal, Socialists and Democrats
  140. Marc Angel, Luxembourg, Socialists and Democrats
  141. Jordi Solé, Spain, Greens/EFA
  142. Karen Melchior, Denmark, Renew
  143. Pascal Arimont, Belgium, EPP
  144. Martina Michels, Germany, The Left – GUE/NGL
  145. Tudor Ciuhodaru, Romania, Socialists & Democrats 
  146. Manuel Ripa, Germany, Greens/EFA
  147. Sarah Wiener, Austria, Greens/EFA
  148. Bernd Lange, Germany, Socialists & Democrats
  149. Ana Miranda, Spain, Greens/EFA
  150.  Silvia Modig, Finland, The Left – GUE/NGL
  151. Grace O’Sullivan, Ireland, Greens/EFA
  152. Clara Aguilera, Spain, Socialists & Democrats
  153. Carmen Avram, Romania, Socialists & Democrats
  154. Romana Jerković, Croatia, Socialists & Democrats
  155. Corina Crețu, Romania, Socialists & Democrats
  156. Theresa Muigg, Austria, Socialists & Democrats
  157. Emmanuel Maurel, France, The Left – GUE/NGL
  158. Karsten Lucke, Germany, Socialists & Democrats
  159. François Alfonsi, France, Greens/ALE
  160. Tineke Strik, the Netherlands, Greens/ALE
  161. Francisco Guerreiro, Portugal, The Greens
  162. Monika Beňová, Slovakia, Socialists & Democrats
  163. Matthias Ecke, Germany, Socialists & Democrats
  164. Carina Ohlsson, Sweden, Socialists & Democrats
  165. Ilan De Basso, Sweden, Socialists & Democrats
  166. Malte Gallée, Germany, Greens/ALE
  167. Ciarán Cuffe, Ireland, Greens-EFA
  168. Petros Kokkalis, Greece, The Left – GUE/NGL
  169. Alexis Georgoulis, Greece, The Left – GUE/NGL
  170. Stelios Kouloglou, Greece, The Left – GUE/NGL
  171. Elena Kountoura, Greece, The Left – GUE/NGL
  172. Marcos Ros Sempere, Spain, Socialists & Democrats
  173. Heléne Fritzon, Sweden, Socialists & Democrats
  174. Evin Incir, Sweden, Socialists & Democrats
  175. Erik Bergkvist, Sweden, Socialists & Democrats
  176. Jonás Fernández, Spain, Socialists & Democrats
  177. Nicolás González Casares, Spain, Socialists & Democrats
  178. Juan Fernando López Aguilar, Spain, Socialists & Democrats
  179. Nacho Sánchez Amor, Spain, Socialists & Democrats

*  These MEPs have signed the pledge but departed from the European Parliament during their term.

Meetings & Events

2024

11

Apr

Social Dialogue Commerce plenary meeting

Commerce

04

Jun

Commerce Steering Committee

Commerce

11

Jun

Sectoral SD Committee Postal Services Working Group Meeting

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Timing: TBC