Minimum wages in all EU countries should allow for decent living and working standards, and member states should promote collective bargaining for pay.&nbsp; With 505 votes in favour, 92 against and 44 abstentions, Parliament adopted&nbsp;new legislation&nbsp;on adequate minimum wages in the EU during September plenary.

The EU law, agreed with the Council in June, aims to improve working and living conditions for all workers in the EU, as well as promoting economic and social progress. To this end, it establishes minimum requirements for the adequacy of statutory minimum&nbsp;wages as provided by national law and/or collective agreements, and enhances the effective access of workers to minimum wage protection.

The new directive will apply to all EU workers who have an employment contract or employment relationship. The EU countries in which the minimum wage is already protected exclusively via collective agreements will not be obliged to introduce these rules nor to make these agreements universally applicable.

EU wants to improve workers’ rights and working conditions across Europe, from working hours and parental leave to health and safety at work. The EU has put in place a set of labour rules to ensure strong social protection. They include minimum requirements on working conditions - such as working time, part-time work, workers’ rights - to information about important aspects of their employment and the posting of workers. They have become one of the cornerstones of Europe's social policies.&nbsp;

Working conditions

Conference on the Right of Disconnect

Members are voting on Temporary measures, in view of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, concerning driver documents issued by Ukraine, Identification of the violation of Union restrictive measures as crimes under Article 83(1) of the TFEU, Exceptional macro-financial assistance to Ukraine, Digital Services Act - Christel SCHALDEMOSE (S&D,DK), Digital Markets Act - Andreas SCHWAB (EPP,DE), Adoption by Croatia of the euro on 1 January 2023 - Siegfried MUREŞAN (EPP,RO), EU/Cook Islands Sustainable Fisheries Partnership / Agreement and Implementation. Protocol (2021-2024) - Cláudia MONTEIRO DE AGUIAR (EPP, PT), Temporary trade liberalisation measures for Moldova, Markéta GREGOROVÁ (Greens/EFA, CZ), Women’s poverty in Europe - Lina GÁLVEZ MUÑOZ (S&D,ES),...

Voting session including reports on Digital Services Act by Christel SCHALDEMOSE (S&D, DK), on Digital Markets Act by Andreas SCHWAB (EPP, DE) and on the adoption by Croatia of the euro on 1 January 2023 by Siegfried MUREŞAN (EPP, RO)

The European Parliament puts forward proposals on employees's right to disconnect digitally from work outside working hours and during holiday. MEPs stressed during the plenary session (18-21 of January) that the legislation and provisions on working time must be respected, even more in COVID-19 times when so many are working from home. Extracts from the debate (20/01) with statements by Alex AGIUS SALIBA (S&D, MT), Rapporteur, Nicolas SCHMIT, European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights,Tomáš ZDECHOVSKÝ (EPP, CZ),Yana TOOM (RE, EE), MATTHIEU Sara (Greens/EFA, BE), Beate SZYDŁO (ECR, PL) and from the final vote (21/01).

The right to disconnect: extracts from the debate (20/01) and from the final vote

This infoclip illustrates teleworking, use of mobile devices like smartphones and laptops and online conferencing. According to Eurofound, the 'right to disconnect' refers to a worker's right to be able to disconnect from work and refrain from engaging in work-related electronic communication, such as emails and other messages, during non-work hoursand holidays.

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