Parliament: Trade Union group reconstituted

Cross-party MEP group re-established with ambitious employment law agenda, though global trade tensions may limit EU's capacity to advance workplace legislation

Key points: Cross-party MEP group re-established with focus on employment law. Priority areas include change management, AI in the workplace, right to disconnect, and subcontracting regulations. Global trade tensions may impact EU's capacity to advance workplace legislation

Why this matters: This development signals potential future legislative initiatives in employment law, which could significantly impact workplace practices and employer obligations across the EU. Among the legislative issues identified as priorities for the group were laws on:

• The anticipation and management of change to enable workers and their unions to negotiate transition agreements
• Information and consultation before AI is deployed in the workplace.
• The right to disconnect.
• The prevention of psychosocial risks in the workplace
• The regulation of subcontracting chains
• Restricting public sector contracts to undertakings covered by collective bargaining agreements

What might happen next: The European Commission is preparing to consult the social partners for a second time on a Directive on the right to disconnect but when this consultation will begin is unclear. The Commission has also indicated that it may propose legislation on AI in the workplace, and is committed to updating the laws on public procurement. 

But with the prospect of a full-blown global trade war, kickstarted by the Trump tariffs, whether the European Union will have the political bandwidth or the desire to push ahead with far-reaching employment laws is questionable.