Wages lower than 10 years ago – Union confederation

  • Lusa
  • 4 February 2020

The wage of workers from six member states, including Portugal, are on average lower than 10 years ago, warns the European Trade Union Confederation.

The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) warned on Tuesday that the wages of workers from six member states, including Portugal, are on average lower than 10 years ago, so for them “the crisis is not over”.

According to data compiled by the ETUC, between 2010 and 2019 inflation-adjusted wage packages (and including social security contributions and subsidy payments) fell on average in six member-states, and in three other countries wages remained basically frozen over the last decade.

According to the ETUC, compared to 2010, wage packages in 2019 were 15% lower in Greece, 7% in Cyprus, 5% in Croatia, 4% in Portugal and Spain and 2% in Italy.

“Workers in six EU countries are in worse shape than 10 years ago. EU [European Union] leaders like to talk about the alleged recovery, but the crisis is not over for millions of workers in many member states,” said Esther Lunch, the deputy secretary general of the ETUC, who urges the EU to “do much more to promote wage and minimum wage increases” in the Union.