Activities of Marie-Pierre VEDRENNE related to 2019/2188(INI)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on reducing inequalities with a special focus on in-work poverty
Amendments (37)
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Stresses that, in accordance with Article 31 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, the EU has an obligation to ensure that all workers enjoy working conditions which respect their health, safety and dignity; recalls, also, that in implementing their policies the Commission and the Member States must take into account requirements linked to the promotion of a high level of employment, the guarantee of a decent standard of living and adequate social protection for all, the fight against poverty and social exclusion and a high level of education and training in accordance with Article 9 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union;
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Underlines the high number of petitions received by Committee on Petitions alerting it to the precarious nature and abusive use of fixed-term contracts in both the public1 and private2 sectors; calls on the Commission to examine these petitions and to provide a better response, in line with its competences and those of the Member States, in order to effectively tackle in-work poverty, social exclusion and precarious work; _________________ 1These include petitions 0240/18, 0328/18, 0365/18, 0374/18, 0396/18, 0419/18, 0829/2018, 0897/2018, 1161/2018, 0290/19, 0310/2019, 0335/2019, 0579/19, 0624/19, 0652/19, 0683/2019, 0737/2019, 1017/19, 1045/2019, 1241/2019, 1318/2019 and 0036/2020. 2These include petitions 1378/2013, 0019/2016, 0020/2016, 0021/2016, 0099/2017, 1162/2017, 0110/2018 and 0335/2019.
Amendment 14 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to monitor in particular sectors characterised by a high degree of job insecurity, in order to prevent the abuse of workers in areas such as temporary work in the agricultural sector, where seasonal workers face abusive employment conditions that in some cases violate not only labour rights, but also workers’ fundamental rights; calls on the Member States to take measures, in line with the Council recommendation of 2018, to ensure that all workers and self-employed persons have access to adequate social protection;
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 14 d (new)
Citation 14 d (new)
- having regard to the Commission communication of 5 March 2020 entitled ‘A Union of Equality: Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025’ (COM(2020)0152),
Amendment 16 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Stresses that these new forms of work, including platform work, present not only opportunities in terms of employability and access to the labour market, but also challenges in terms of fair working conditions and access to social protection; calls, therefore, on the Commission and the Member States to work to improve the working conditions of these workers;
Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 18 c (new)
Citation 18 c (new)
- having regard to the Commission communication of 14 January 2020 entitled ‘A Strong Social Europe For Just Transitions’ (COM(2020)14),
Amendment 20 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Notes with concern that, according to the European Social Policy Network, some 9.4 % of workers in the EU are at risk of poverty, representing some 20.5 million people; highlights the important differences between the Member States, and underlines the need to establish policies and law at EU level to reverse this situation, in order to prevent further social polarisation in the EU; welcomes, in this regard, the Commission’s consultation with the social partners on a European framework for minimum wages; calls on the Commission, therefore, to present as soon as possible a legal instrument for upward social convergence in accordance with national traditions, so that every worker in the European Union benefits from a fair minimum wage; warns that this situation will be aggravated as a result of the COVID-19 crisis, and urges the Commission to protect these workers by guaranteeing their jobs and wages and also their working conditions;
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital -A a (new)
Recital -A a (new)
-Aa. whereas one of the EU’s strengths is its social model; whereas the technological change and the global trend of rising inequalities require that social model to be reassessed and adapted to the modern, fast-paced, complex and unpredictable global environment;
Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital -A (new)
Recital -A (new)
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas there is great inequality exists both within and between Member States and varies significantly; whereas the gap between rich and poor is widening; whereas, while net wealth per household in the Eurogroup countries fell for the bottom 20%, it increased relatively sharply for the top 20%6 , and the bottom 20% of households had net debt averaging EUR 4 500, while the top 10% had net assets of EUR 1 189 7007 ; __________________ 6The Household Finance and Consumption Survey: Results from the 2017 wave, ECB Statistics Paper Series No 36, March 2020, p. 25. https://www.ecb.europa.eu/pub/pdf/scpsps/ ecb.sps36~0245ed80c7.en.pdf?bd73411fbe b0a33928ce4c5ef2c5e872 7 The Household Finance and Consumption Survey Wave 2017 Statistical tables, March 2020, p. 5. https://www.ecb.europa.eu/home/pdf/resea rch/hfcn/HFCS_Statistical_Tables_Wave_ 2017.pdf?656f4e10de45c91c3c882840e91 74eac
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas low wages and, increasingly, wage differentiation are deepening inequalitythe factors contributing to the increase of inequality are very complex and interlinked, among which inequality in wages, technological changes, policy and regulatory reforms; whereas increasing productivity without corresponding wage increases also exacerbatesmay lead to economic disparities within and between Member States;
Amendment 33 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Stresses that women continue to earn 16 % less than men in the EU and have the highest rates of job insecurity; calls on the Member States to put legislation and strategies in place to ensure equality, and urges the Commission to pay particular attention to compliance with EU labour law; calls on the Member States and the Union to ensure pay transparency, including by introducing a wage equality index comparing women and men;
Amendment 34 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to make fighting unemployment and insecure employment of young people a priority and to make full use of financial instruments such as the Youth Guarantee and European programmes such as Erasmus+ in order to tackle youth unemployment and enhance the employability of young people;
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas women in EU-27 earn 15% less than men on average8; whereas female poverty is a multifaceted problem directly influenced by the lack of fair valuation of work typically carried out by women, the impact of career breaks on promotion and pension advancement, and unequal sharing of unpaid caring responsibilities and domestic work; __________________ 8 https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/he adlines/society/20200227STO73519/gende r-pay-gap-in-europe-facts-and-figures- infographic
Amendment 70 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas 95 million people (21.7%) are affected by poverty or social exclusion, which means that the economic survival and place in societywellbeing of one in five people in the world's third largest economic area (EU- 27) are at risk10 ; __________________ 10 https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/29 95521/10163468/3-16102019-CP- EN.pdf/edc3178f-ae3e-9973-f147- b839ee522578
Amendment 79 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas 6.1% of the population of EU-28 were suffering from severe material deprivation in 201811; whereas this share is likely to increase significantly due to the COVID-19 pandemic; __________________ 11Severe material deprivation: inability to afford less than 4 out of 11: mortgage or rent payments, utility bills, hire purchase instalments or other loan payments, one week annual holidays, meals involving meat/fish/protein every second day, unexpected financial expenses, a telephone (including mobile), a colour TV, a washing machine, a car, heating; (https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics- explained/index.php/Quality_of_life_indic ators_- _material_living_conditions#General_over view)
Amendment 90 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas rents are constantly rising and people on or below the poverty line have to spend 38% of their disposable income on accommodation, and in some Member States this rate is as much as 50- 90%13; __________________ in the majority of the Member States rents are constantly rising and housing cost burdens vary considerably across the income distribution; whereas in the EU, low- income tenant households face median housing costs between 20 to 45% of disposable income; whereas in 2018, 9.6 % of the EU-27 population lived in households that spent 40 % or more of their equivalised disposable income on housing2a; __________________ 2ahttps://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics- explained/index.php/Housing_statistics#H ousing_affordability 13 https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/v iew/tessi163/default/table?lang=en
Amendment 130 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital M
Recital M
M. whereas privatisation and outsourcing are reducing job security, and this is also an indicatormore analysis and researches are needed in order to examine the effects of privatisation and outsourcing ofn the increase in precarious employmentemployment rates, worker’s wellbeing, wages and productivity;
Amendment 150 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital P
Recital P
P. whereas in ten years the increase in atypical employment was significantly higher than the overall increase in jobs; part-time employment rose most, followed by short-term work19 ; whereas over 1/3 of part-time workers involuntarily work part- time and one in two work in short-term employment only for lack of any alternative20 ; __________________ 19Labour market and Social Development (ETUI, 2019) Benchmarking Working Europe, 2019. 20 https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId= 89&furtherNews=yes&langId=en&newsId =9378
Amendment 179 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital Q a (new)
Recital Q a (new)
Qa. whereas the Covid-19 crisis has demonstrated the need for a more inclusive social protection covering all types of workers, especially self-employed and platform workers;
Amendment 182 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Reminds the Commission and the Member States to achieve the goal of comparable living conditions through upward convergence and to counter the increasing inequality and de- solidarisation within and between Member Stateshat preventing in-work poverty must be part of the overall goal to reduce poverty in the EU; stresses the need to tackle in-work poverty through upward social and economic convergence and through appropriate and dedicated measures, such as the strengthening of collective systems and a coordinated approach to minimum security systems for all age groups, a minimum income, minimum wages and minimum pensions; fostering equal opportunities in education and training from early ages, ensuring access to affordable and quality services including childcare, promoting gender equality, addressing regional disparities, ensuring robust social protection systems and supporting social dialogue;
Amendment 195 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Stresses that the digital transformation and the growing number of high-skilled professions require targeted investment in lifelong learning to help people adapt to the changes or move into better-paid jobs which will reduce in- work poverty in the EU in the long term; calls on the Commission and the Member States to offer coherent and comprehensive support for building up the needed digital skills ensuring fast and successful digital transformation;
Amendment 200 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Is convinced that the axiom that ‘work is the best remedy for poverty’ no longer appa focus on employment and wages alone is not sufficient to address the issue of in-work for poverty; believes today in the face of low- wage sectors, atypical and precarious working conditions and the dismantling of social security systems and that a poverty- free life can only be secured by effective collective agreementhat a holistic approach combining both direct and indirect measures targeted towards household as well as aind minimum wage systemsividual incomes should be fostered;
Amendment 210 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Underlines that high quality education, including vocational education and training, is essential for the reduction of inequalities, improving the employability and adaptability of the workers and facilitating their successful transition into employment; calls on the Member States to guarantee equal access to inclusive education and training and to strength their efforts to reduce early school leaving;
Amendment 223 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Reiterates that one of the essential step towards reducing inequalities is eliminating the persistent gender-based wage gap; calls on Member States to continue their efforts to eliminate the gender pay gap by enforcing the principle of equal pay for equal work;
Amendment 224 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure equal participation and opportunities for men and women in the labour market and to introduce initiatives to promote women access to finance, female entrepreneurship and women’s financial independence;
Amendment 225 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Stresses that changes in technology and the structure of the economy are concentrating more economic activity and high-skilled jobs in metropolitan areas, which increases social and geographical inequalities; calls on the Commission and the Member States to strengthen investments in digital technology in the rural areas in order to enhance public services, improve their quality and efficiency and create new modes of service delivery for the remote and underserved regions, in order to address inequalities and create better job opportunities;
Amendment 277 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. WelcomesCalls on the Commission’s plan to adopt the Directive on platform work, which is intended to ensure that platform workers are covered by existing labour law, are socially insured and are able to form workers’ representations and organise in un to present a regulatory European framework ensuring platform workers are guaranteed social rights, fair working conditions, in order to conclude collective agreementscreased access to social protection and improved representation;
Amendment 295 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls on the Member States, when implementing the work-life-balance Directive22 , to ensure that access to affordable childcare in general and in particular for single parents is secured so that they are not pushed into precarious and low-paid work; __________________ 22Directive (EU) 2019/1158 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 on work-life balance for parents and carers and repealing Council Directive 2010/18/EU
Amendment 301 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Calls for compliance with the rules on equality and anti-discrimination, particularly with regard to wages; welcomes in this regard the Commission’s commitment to present a proposal on binding pay transparency measures before 2021 as stated in the Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025;
Amendment 321 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to targetaddress atypical and precarious employment groups in the labour markets and to take measures to counteract this form of employmentensure fair working conditions for workers, while safeguarding employment opportunities;
Amendment 369 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
Amendment 380 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Proposes to the Commission to change European rules so thatAcknowledges that the digitalization and globalization led to significant increase of self-employment and atypical forms of work; proposes to the Commission and the Member States to examine the need and the possibilities for solo self- employed and non-standard workers canto unite and conclude collective agreements and to propose regulatory changes where necessary;
Amendment 398 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Points out that imbalances must not be exacerbated and that the consequences of the COVID-19 crisis must not be borne by workers or the poor through austerity measthe COVID-19 crisis has significantly hit workers and disadvantaged people; insists that measures to combat poverty and in-work poverty are particularly necessary; reminds in this regard that a sufficient proportion of additional resources or through the European Semester; insists that measures to combat poverty and in-work poverty are particularly necessaryunder REACT-EU should be used to increase the availability of FEAD funds to help the most deprived; equally underlines the importance of ensuring that the ESF+ is allocated sufficient resources in the next Multiannual Financial Framework;
Amendment 408 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. UStresses the positive aspect of the short-time work schemes put in place by Member States to safeguard jobs and preserve large parts of wages during the crisis and welcomes the new SURE mechanism in this regard; urges the Commission to pay particular attention to the economic impact of short-time work and layoffs and the social impact on people living precariously;
Amendment 420 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Calls on the Commission and Member States to mitigate the worst consequences of COVID-19 through European and national support, with the allocation of public moneyadequate resources, e.g. through SURE, being linked to a ba; stresses that in order to cope with major shocks, Member States should adopt common lon shedding existing jobsg-term instruments with a view to preserving jobs and skills and reducing pressure on national public finances; awaits in this regard the upcoming Commission’s proposal for a long-term European unemployment reinsurance scheme;
Amendment 433 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Proposes to actively counter potential high unemployment through European and national employment programmes and to invest in new jobs, future-oriented infrastructure, digital change and ‘green transition’.; believes that particular consideration should be given to fostering youth employment;