Social Platform adopts position paper on Adequate Minimum Wages in the EU

On 30 March, Social Platform published its ten key messages on adequate minimum wages in the EU.

Europe is one of the most prosperous regions in the world. People living in the European Union enjoy some of the best living and working conditions and the most comprehensive social protection systems. However, outside of the global context, the situation looks different. For many people, work no longer pays enough to provide viable protection against poverty. In fact, in 2019, 9% of all workers in the EU (17.5 million people) were living at risk of poverty despite being in employment.

The percentage is significantly higher in certain Member States, in specific sectors of the economy and especially for people in vulnerable situations. Moreover, in-work poverty is expected to have increased significantly due to the socio-economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, which continues to have a devastating impact on people’s lives and incomes.

Social Platform welcomes the initiative of the European Commission to propose a Directive on Adequate Minimum Wages. However, the Directive must define criteria to guarantee that minimum wages are adequate and ensure a decent standard of living.

Adequate minimum wages are needed now more than ever to ensure a strong COVID-19 recovery.

Read the full position paper here!