Europe’s unions in graphical and packaging sector come together in Marseille

On November 15 and 16, around 100 representatives from trade unions in the graphical and packaging industries from all over Europe will gather in Marseille for the UNI Europa Graphical & Packaging conference to set priorities and elect new leaders for the next four years.

Since the previous UNI Graphical & Packaging conference in Toledo in 2019, substantial socio-economic transformations have taken place around the world and impacted our industries. These include the COVID-19 pandemic, the cost-of-living crisis, the rise of e-commerce and digitization, growing sustainability concerns and ongoing restructuring processes.

In response, the conference will advocate an ambitious action plan for the European graphical and packaging sector. This plan aims to promote sector networks, organizing efforts and collective bargaining as key strategies for strengthening the voice of graphical and packaging workers and improving working conditions in the sector.

In addition, the conference will include contributions from affiliated unions in various regions, who will present their views and experiences on these crucial topics.

Earlier the same week, UNI Graphical & Packaging affiliates will participate in a thematic conference on the threat of the far right and racism. At this one-day conference, speakers from the worlds of trade unions, politics, academic and associations will seek to better understand the causes and evolution of the rise of the extreme right across different regions, and we will examine how democratic civil society organisations, and trade unions in particular, are trying to counter these developments.