Strengthening Collective Bargaining and Increasing Minimum Wages Across Europe: Next Steps to Achieve the Objectives of the Adequate Minimum Wages Directive.

This high-level conference will bring together trade union leaders, academics and policy makers to reflect on and discuss the forthcoming judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) in case C-19/23, concerning the Adequate Minimum Wages Directive (EU 2022/2041). The judgment, expected on 11 November, is anticipated to have far-reaching implications for the protection of fair wages and the promotion of collective bargaining across the European Union.

The conference will examine the legal, political, and social implications of the ruling, its potential effects on national wage-setting systems, and its significance for the broader future of social Europe. The event will provide a forum for exchange and dialogue on how the Directive can be effectively implemented to strengthen workers’ rights, tackle in-work poverty, and promote upward wage convergence throughout the EU.

Beyond considering the Court’s decision, the conference will reaffirm the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC)’s commitments to achieving the Directive’s full objectives — regardless of the outcome of the judgment. Discussions will highlight the ETUC’s central priorities:

• Securing fair and adequate wages for all workers in Europe;
• Reinforcing collective bargaining systems as the foundation of strong social dialogue;
• Ensuring that no Member State or worker is left behind in the pursuit of decent living standards and equitable growth.

This event will serve both as a moment of reflection on the implications of the Court’s ruling and as a call to action for policymakers, trade unions, and other progressive stakeholders to continue advancing the vision of a more socially just and cohesive Europe.