Today, the Advocate General of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) issued an opinion advocating for the annulment of the EU Minimum Wage Directive, adopted in 2021.

The EU Minimum Wage Directive extends beyond minimum wage, addressing the requirement for member states to develop action plans to promote collective bargaining and to take measures to prevent anti-union activities.

This opinion is a dangerous step towards dismantling key protections for workers across Europe. It aligns with the European Commission’s competitiveness agenda, which cares more about profit over people.

We must harmonize upwards, this race to the bottom must end. We cannot afford to wait. In this time of social crisis, it is more important than ever to make the dignity of workers a priority. We cannot allow the European Commission and Member states to use this opinion as an excuse for inaction.

The Left unequivocally opposes this broken system that puts corporate greed ahead of workers’ rights. Europe must no longer be driven by deregulation and profit-hungry corporations.

Economic justice is not charity; it is a right.

Left MEP and Chair of the EMPL Committee Li Andersson (Vasemmistoliitto, Finland) commented: “The Minimum Wage Directive has been one of the most important pieces of EU legislation for decades and has already now created action to raise minimum wages and strengthen collective bargaining in many Member States. The opinion of the Advocate General is therefore terrible news for all of us who are fighting for social rights and workers’ rights in Europe, as this opinion will surely be used by national governments and right-wing forces in Europe to drop the social agenda altogether. Now we must work even harder to defend workers’ rights and put our hope in the EU Court of Justice to reach a better conclusion.”

Left MEP and Coordinator for The Left in EMPL Committee Leila Chaibi (La France Insoumise, France): “The Advocate General of the European Court of Justice suggests to annul one of the rare texts where the EU stands for workers, not against them. The European Minimum Wage Directive is an important step to strengthen collective bargaining and contributes to fighting inequality. Mr. Advocate General, workers have the right to live decently from their work – and that right must be irrevocable!”

Left MEP Özlem Demirel (Die Linke, Germany): “The Advocate General’s opinion is already political! When, for example, the financial crisis led to restrictions and cuts to the rights of trade unions and workers, EU intervention was obviously not a problem for him. Yet, when it comes to improvements, it suddenly is?
The Minimum Wage Directive ensures that people who work can lead a life of dignity and avoid poverty. It also promotes the expansion of collective agreements. This is not revolutionary; it is a basic human right. If this framework truly contradicts EU law, then the problem lies with the law itself.”