Employment, Social Affairs & Health

Employment, Social Affairs & Health

In our electoral programme, we said it loud and clear: our top priority is that Europeans, women and men, must have a decent job that allows good quality of life. We fight for a Europe that leaves no-one behind. Through education, training and social programmes when needed, everyone should be given a chance at a good life.

Wellbeing for all

We work with our parties, ministers, prime ministers, experts, trade unions and NGOs all over the European Union to put forward proposals that improve the wellbeing of every citizen. We campaign to make sure these proposals are implemented and improve the reality in EU countries.

More about

  • Workers’ rights in the digital economy

    The digital economy is profoundly changing today’s world of work, our social and economic structures and the way we interact.

    As socialists, it is our responsibility to ensure that the digital revolution benefits all parts of society, protects all workers equally and creates the same opportunities for everyone. We are fighting to make sure technological progress goes hand in hand with social progress.

    Check our publication on “Workers’ rights and social progress in the digital economy

  • Social Europe

    Today, Europe is faced with huge challenges: creating quality jobs, fighting poverty and social inequalities, fighting climate change, empowering and protecting citizens, and fostering economic, social and territorial cohesion. The PES’ answer is clear: we fight for a more social Europe, for a Europe against inequalities, for a Europe of decent working conditions, and for a Europe of strong social protection. This is the vision the PES promotes building on the European pillar of social rights.

  • Strong Social standards

    At PES we are convinced that the EU should ensure a high level of social standard, with a key role to be played by social partners. We insist on strong rules that guarantee all workers are protected and treated equally, that all workers have a decent job and a fair work-life balance. This is the vision we promote when it comes to wages, as we did when fighting for the adoption of the EU Directive on adequate minimum wages (2022), posting of workers, working-time, health and safety standards, workers’ rights and collective bargaining.

  • Healthcare

    PES believes that the EU and its member states must guarantee the right to universal access to timely and appropriate health coverage, regardless of financial means, gender, sexual orientation, cultural background or any other factor. This is a fundamental right that many still do not enjoy – patients across Europe experience differing levels of healthcare access due to varied budgets, high medicine prices, profiteering companies, and licensing issues. To guarantee healthy, cohesive, and socially just communities, we must reverse austerity and health corporatisation, and invest in quality and affordable public health institutions.

  • Progressive reforms

    With its progressive reforms, the PES proposes a real alternative to the politics of cuts and lowest social standards. Gathering measures ranging from decent wages, quality public services, fair taxation, investment in education and clean technology, the PES programme for progressive reforms shapes a new social and economic model that supports growth and jobs, favours environmental, economic and social sustainability and reduces inequalities. With the Youth Guarantee, we have shown that another kind of reforms is possible, we are now ready to push for more.

    Brochure on Progressive Reforms, March 2016

  • Porto Social Forum 2023: building bridges to a better future

    Adopted by the PES Presidency on 23 March 2023
    View document March 23, 2023
  • Supporting Green Deal Industries for Quality European Jobs

    Adopted by the PES Presidency on 9 February 2023
    View document February 9, 2023
  • PES vision for an inclusive European society

    PES publication
    View document April 2, 2022