Trade unions say the European Commission must make higher living standards for working people – not deregulation – its priority after a new EU poll showed the rising cost of living is the top concern of citizens. 

The European Parliament survey of 26,000 people across Europe shows that inflation, rising prices, and the cost of living is once again the top priority of citizens and the share of people who say that has increased by 6 per percentage points since the last survey.

The poll is published on the day the Irish Government takes over the Presidency of the Council of the EU. Thousands of workers are taking part in trade union demonstrations in Dublin and Paris to demand the EU fixes its public procurement rules to ensure better pay and working conditions.

Policymakers must focus on action to improve the lives of working people instead of pushing ahead with the ‘EU Inc’ deregulation initiative which puts workers’ rights at risk or cuts to social spending in the next EU long-term budget. 

The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) is calling for European policymakers to: 

• Deliver a Quality Jobs Act which backs collective bargaining for fair pay;
• Make compliance with collective bargaining rights a red line for public contracts;
• Withdraw and rewrite the EU Inc proposal to include safeguards for workers’ rights;
• Back the European Parliament’s plan to raise social spending in the EU budget;
• End austerity and increase investment in our industries and public services;

Responding to the results, ETUC General Secretary Esther Lynch said: 

“The results of this Eurobarometer show too many politicians – at national and European level – are out of touch with the needs and expectations of the people they claim to represent. 

“Citizens consistently say that their top priority for the EU is action to address the cost-of-living crisis which has now been hammering them for half a decade. 

“Yet ministers and Commissioners are pushing ahead with deregulation and cuts to social spending that would make their lives even harder.
“European policymakers should stop dancing to the tune of corporate lobbyists and start responding to the concerns of the working people out demonstrating for fair pay today. 

“In particular, the Irish government would do well to start its presidency of the EU by listening to the workers in the streets of Dublin calling for concrete measures to improve people's working lives.

"At this point, ignoring the evidence stops being an oversight and starts being a scandal."