Unions protest EU Inc law, claiming it threatens labour rights
Unions say the Brussels plan to make it easier to start businesses across Europe could undermine national labour rights and standards.
Dozens of trade union representatives demonstrated outside EU headquarters in Brussels on Thursday, opposing EU Inc, a legislation aimed at simplifying business establishment and operation across Europe. The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), which led the protest, asserts that the bill jeopardizes worker rights by enabling companies to bypass national labor laws and social standards.
The ETUC contends that the proposed legislation lacks concrete measures to uphold collective labor rights, collective bargaining, trade union rights, information and consultation rights, and workers’ participation rights. Additionally, it threatens board-level employee representation and simplifies corporate restructuring, undermining collective rights, the union claims.
Concerns were also voiced regarding a fully digital company lifecycle, which could separate corporate governance from the physical workplace. The EU Inc proposal, according to ETUC, aims to enhance Europe's competitiveness globally by making it easier for companies to set up and expand across borders. The EU faces more administrative hurdles and varied national rules in establishing a business compared to the US.
In September, European business leaders urged the European Commission not to weaken the legislation, particularly its proposed "free choice of registered office" provision, which would let founders register their company wherever they prefer, without necessitating all operations within a single country. EU leaders agreed in March to finalize the law by year-end.
Written by urgent.news from Euronews's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
