Speeches

Mr President, I would like to thank you. "The stress makes me think about changing jobs." This is how half of the Swedish Healthcare Association's members experience their everyday life. You're not alone. Nurses and doctors all over Europe testify to a similar frustration, how a bad work environment pushes them away from the profession they love. There are things that the EU can and should do. Firstly, the Commission must present legislation to improve the psychosocial working environment. We need new rules to prevent musculoskeletal disorders. Promises of stricter requirements to prevent harassment and violence from patients and users must be honoured. Last but not least, we need to strengthen the protection of healthcare professionals against carcinogens and harmful substances at work. No one who cares for a cancer patient or cleans our hospitals should have to suffer from the same disease themselves.

Mr President, thank you very much. A few months ago, here in the European Parliament, we discussed the threat posed by the Russian shadow fleet. Today we stand here again and talk about damage to important infrastructure in the Baltic Sea. We're discussing damaged submarine cables, but these aren't the only attacks we see. We see that GPS interference has also become increasingly common. Today, they extend over Gotland, Finland and the Baltic countries and affect air traffic throughout the region. This is no coincidence. This is what hybrid warfare looks like in practice, and it is clear that our sanctions are not enough. It will require tougher action against Putin's shadow fleet. Security must be a higher priority in transport policy at all, not just linked to sanctions. In the case of the EU port strategy, the development of the TEN-E and TEN-T projects, the safety aspect must take precedence in the design of the infrastructure. But to begin with: Let's put an end to Putin's shadow fleet.

Madam President, thank you very much. Don't go out! That's what the warnings were all over Sweden when the ice hatch pulled in. I then thought of all those who move outdoors in their work, and for whom that advice was therefore impossible to follow. Among other things, all members of the union Kommunal: cleaners, childminders, those working in home care or as personal assistants. I would like to remind you of their rights. For the EU, there are also clear requirements for Swedish employers. First, your boss should have a plan to avoid slipping. Secondly, the manager must do what he can to combat the risk of slipping. It will be ploughed, it will be sent, it will be salted. Last but not least, this is not enough, you are entitled to work shoes with non-slip soles, and it is the employer who must pay. To all members of the community: Keep standing up for your right to work shoes.

Madam President, I would like to thank you for your Of the 43 million people with disabilities of working age in the EU, only half have a job to go to. Their unemployment rate is twice as high as that of others in the European labour market. And to get to work in order to be able to participate in society, you also need to be able to get there physically – freedom of movement is crucial. It must be possible to take the bus where you live, the train to the other side of the country and the flight out into Europe. Unfortunately, people with disabilities still face major obstacles when travelling. The EU has an important role to play here. The disability card was an important first step, but more is needed. EU Member States, transport companies, need to step up their efforts to increase accessibility throughout the transport sector. Today, requirements and accessibility vary between modes of transport and between Member States. It's got to stop. It is crucial for the individual's freedom of movement, but also for their ability to work and participate fully in society.

Mr President, I would like to thank you. Unpaid wages, workplace accidents hidden away and people forced to sleep in rotten caravans or run-down barns. The situation for many people working in agriculture and forestry is pure hell. The figures speak for themselves. More than 150,000 workplace accidents each year. With over 500 dead on our continent. Last year, we put a whole new principle on paper. If you do not respect the fundamental rights of your employees, you will be liable for repayment if you have received EU money. Now we need to make sure that this starts to show up in real life, so that it really feels like it's for those who take advantage of their employees. But we're not supposed to think this is enough. The European trade union EFFAT describes a sector where employees are often treated as single-use goods. In particular, it warns against abuses by private employment agencies, temporary work agencies and loopholes in labour immigration rules. It also warns that the authorities are not getting the resources they need to carry out inspections. And similar warnings come from trade unions on the ground, whether it is about berry picking and afforestation in my home country Sweden, or olive and tomato cultivation in southern Europe. I therefore hope that the Commission and the Commissioner together can take the initiative for a minimum number of inspectors throughout Europe, so that we can have improved working conditions in forestry and agriculture and in all European sectors.

Mr President, I would like to thank you. Sundbyberg in December 2023 – five dead after a construction elevator fell from the eighth floor. Five out of a total of 62 people lost their lives at work in Sweden last year. Five out of thousands of people in Europe. Behind every figure is a whole life: a family member, a friend, a colleague who did not come home after work. And the Commissioner! It rumbles in Europe's workplaces of sadness for those who have passed away, but also an anger that it may happen again and again and again. That responsibility is hidden deep down in long chains by subcontractors. That when people die, no one knows who has died and who was the employer. This has got to stop.

Mr President, I would like to thank you. Every week, more than 100 companies join Sweden's collective bargaining model. But despite the fact that it's been over a year since the strike began, Tesla is still not one of them. And to Elon Musk, I'd like to say: That's enough, that's enough now. This doesn't hold up. Tesla's actions are unceremonious, anti-European and disrespectful of the order that has prevailed on the Swedish labour market since 1938. But it's also stupid. Collective agreements not only ensure wage increases for employees, but also contribute to the stability and innovativeness of European companies. And to all of you employees who are now on strike, I would like to say the following: Hold on and hold on. You are fighting not only for your own rights but also for your comrades in Sweden and throughout Europe. Because no company, regardless of its owner, should be able to come here and trample on our traditions, our trade unions and our collective bargaining models. End of point. Colleagues! But the threat doesn't just come from foreign billionaires. It also comes from Member States within our own Union. Just as we are freezing EU money today for countries that violate the rule of law, we must also start to act against those Member States that violate people's fundamental right to unionisation. EU rules that we adopt can never, ever restrict people's fundamental right to unionise and strike for their wages and working conditions.

Mr President, I would like to thank you. First of all, I would like to thank Commissioner Tzitzikostas very much for his promise to develop a strategy for sustainable tourism. Europe is, and must continue to be, the leading destination for sustainable tourism. But then it is also important to remember that sustainability is also about good working conditions. I am also pleased that the Commissioner has therefore also mentioned this in his speech. For trade unions all over the world today sheds light on a global pattern that also exists in Europe of exploitation, low wages and precarious jobs that are unfortunately a daily reality for many in the sector. This is unacceptable. If we are to create a sustainable tourism sector, we must improve working conditions and deal with the uncertainty that comes with short-term seasonal employment. This will be crucial for people to choose to work in the sector, but also for those who are already there to stay. I therefore hope that the Commission will involve the trade unions in the sector when it comes to drawing up its new strategy.

Mr President, I would like to thank you. Black week, Black Friday and Christmas shopping; We are now entering Europe's biggest shopping month. In view of this, I would like to highlight two crushing reports that the trade union Handels has released on the work situation of its members. Not only do three out of ten store employees in Sweden receive a salary below the poverty line, more and more people also feel a growing concern about threats, violence or other crimes in the workplace. No one should have to wear it to work. Member States must ensure that their legislation on health and safety at work makes it clear that workplaces must also be free from threats and violence and clarifies the employer's responsibility when the violence comes from a third party, in this case the customer. Countries that do not act sufficiently, such as my home country Sweden, must be backed up by the EU system. Doing nothing can never, ever be an option.

Mr President, I would like to thank you. Trade unions and collective bargaining are building Europe strongly. They secure wage increases, pension payments and decent working conditions for Europe's workers. Collective bargaining is also a way for companies to ensure that competition takes place with innovations, new ideas and smart ways of working, not on the basis of who can squeeze wages the lowest. Collective agreements also support all those workers whose workplaces are changing or closing down, whether it is an industrial worker who wants to retrain as a security guard or a cleaner who wants to become a welder. This provides strength and security for workers, but it is also crucial for all those companies that today are screaming for skilled labour. If we are to truly increase Europe's competitiveness, we must therefore also support all those trade unions and employers who want to negotiate collective agreements and together take responsibility for the transformation and skills development of Europe's workforce.

Madam President, I would like to thank you for your The European steel industry faces two parallel challenges. In the short term, we have to deal with fierce competition and declining demand. But it is also about surviving in the long term, continuing the investments that will create the steel workers' jobs of the future. Today, Europe has a head start in the ongoing technology shift. Today, we are leading the development of the green steel of the future. But we can't blow it. We must never lose sight of the horizon. Here, politics has a responsibility to secure good investment horizons, to mobilise capital for European industrial ventures, to ensure the security of all employees in the transition and to deal with the new trade policy realities we face today. Because that's one thing for sure – you can't go back into the future. If anything, it would be a betrayal of Europe's steel workers.

Mr President, thank you very much. Hands that numb when you lift the children, tie the shoes or try to button the shirt. This is the reality for many construction workers and a direct consequence of a poor working environment. Last week, the trade union Buildings presented a report. It shows that three out of four construction workers experience symptoms of vibration damage, even young workers. Many are injured even if they remain below the legal limits. This is a betrayal by the public against all affected workers. This must be a wake-up call for politicians across Europe. EU limit values exist to protect people, and if they do not, then they need to be tightened up. A good job market requires a good working environment. That message must also be perfectly clear from this House.

Mr President, I would like to thank you. I am pleased with the commitment shown during the debate. Finally, I would like to emphasise that our work in the aviation sector does not end here. As many have noted, we still have a lot to do to ensure a fair and sustainable aviation sector in Europe. Smooth cross-border transport is important but must never come at the expense of workers' rights. I therefore hope that during this mandate we can also address other important issues affecting the sector. A revision of the EU Air Services Regulation is high on the agenda. Firstly, we need to strengthen the rules on so-called wet leasing, where airlines lease aircraft with crew. Wet leasing It can of course be used to respond to unforeseen events, but not to compete with wages and working conditions. Developments – where, on the surface, serious airlines create subsidiaries with the sole purpose of pushing back the working conditions of their staff – are not worthy and must come to an end. Secondly, we need clearer definitions of the staff's home base. We have seen how companies today take advantage of differences in national legislation to drive down wage costs. This too must come to an end. That said, the Single European Sky remains to be implemented. It will require continued hard work from the European Commission in monitoring the rules that we are now getting in place, to ensure that it really is a step forward and not a blow in the air. I hope everyone is here to vote in favour of the proposal tomorrow.

Madam President, I would like to thank you for your Every year, around one billion journeys are made by air within the EU. Over time, aviation has become an increasingly important part of our everyday lives and our economy. For a country like Sweden, well-functioning air traffic is crucial. We have great distances and are sparsely populated. Aviation connects our country, our continent and connects us to the outside world. However, the sector faces major challenges. In 2023, almost three out of ten flights were delayed by more than 15 minutes. The average delay per flight in Europe is around 18 minutes. At the same time, aviation globally accounts for about 2 to 3% of our total CO2 emissions. Today, Europe's airspace resembles a big puzzle where each country has its own piece, and unfortunately not all pieces fit together. This leads to detours, waiting times and unnecessary costs. Single European Sky will solve parts of this puzzle. After more than a decade of negotiations, we have finally reached an agreement. The legislation is about making aviation safer, more punctual and more climate-friendly. It benefits travellers, it will benefit the industry and it will benefit the climate. And it is an important step towards modernising Europe's airspace. I would like to thank everyone who worked on this proposal. Special thanks to former rapporteurs Bogusław Liberadzki and Marian-Jean Marinescu, who worked tirelessly on this during the previous mandate. And then a thank you to Mr Gieseke, my co-rapporteur this time. It shows what we can achieve if we work together across party lines in this house. But let me be clear: Single European Sky is not a revolution – it is an evolution. It is a compromise that takes us in the right direction. We will see improvements and efficiency and coordination. But even though the changes may not have been as big as we had imagined, it does include important steps forward. For example, we are strengthening monitoring at EU level, which will be crucial to ensure compliance with our European rules. These changes provide us with a good platform on which to build towards a coherent, efficient and sustainable European airspace. It is estimated that the Single European Sky can contribute to reducing CO2 emissions by up to 10% per flight. This is an important step and part of the solution to also make aviation more sustainable. However, we must continue to work on several fronts. We will need to ensure a market for sustainable aviation fuels. We will need to continue to work on increased efficiency in fuel consumption in aviation. We will also ensure that the fantastic innovations that are underway, not least to electrify regional aviation, can have a practical turnover in our European aviation market. I look forward to a good debate today and a good decision later this week. And I am hopeful that the result will be a better European airspace.

Mr President, I would like to thank you. 40 hours a week we usually spend at work; 40 hours that can be meaningful and rewarding or 40 hours that can be a hell of stress, pressure, bullying and harassment. There's too little talk about how people actually do it at work. How people actually feel about their work. If you listen to the trade unions or meet hard-working people around our countries, you will be met with lots of testimonials about burnout, about depression and about harassment from customers, colleagues and users. The EU has the power to increase demands and ensure that employers in Europe act against this. We need legislation on the psychosocial work environment to reduce stress and pressure. We need to take the issue of threats and violence seriously and prevent harassment before it actually affects people. Everyone has the right to feel good about and at work.

Mr President, I would like to thank you. Sweden and Europe need more housing that ordinary people can afford to live in. Unfortunately, things are moving in the wrong direction today, often eagerly cheered on by right-wing politicians. Just look at my home country, Sweden: At the same time as the crisis struck, with interest rate increases and electricity price chaos, the Swedish right-wing parties chose to withdraw all support for housing construction. The result is as expected as it is gloomy: Construction has plummeted, housing shortages have increased and layoffs in the construction sector have skyrocketed. But it is not only national politicians who are hindering construction. The EU must also raise the barriers that have been put in place for local and regional politicians, for the common good and for national governments that want to pursue an active housing policy for more housing construction. That is why I am very much in favour of the proposals that have now been announced to revise the state aid rules, because this will be needed if Europe is to be able to build more homes that ordinary people can afford to live in.

Madam President, I would like to thank you for your The green transition is a great opportunity. In Sweden alone, more than 50,000 new industrial workplaces are now emerging. But it is also a challenge, because we in Europe must ensure that we are at the forefront of technological development. The question is not whether the transition will happen or not, but whether the cars, batteries and green steel of the future will be produced in China and the US or here in Europe. That is why it is extremely provocative when the right wing in this Parliament continues to pretend that the problems and the warnings we see in the car and battery industry in Europe are about whether or not to be able to sell diesel cars after 2035. Nothing could be more wrong. The problem is that we are lagging behind in technology development. If we stop now, we will be even longer after five years. Allow me to make a parable: Easing environmental standards today is like peeing in the winter to keep warm. It's hot at first, but then it gets so cold. Instead, we need to develop an EU strategy to ensure that we get more production on our continent and increase our technological know-how, that we increase our industrial investments, that we push back our energy and electricity prices. This is how we will build Europe's industry strong and ensure that tomorrow's cars are also produced on our continent.

Mr President, I would like to thank you. Last year, the Swedish newspaper Dagens ETC revealed how subcontractors to one of Sweden's largest telecom companies let Russian-speaking workers drift around in security-sensitive infrastructure. Without background checks and for 34 SEK per hour, the workers were set to upgrade Swedish communication masts. This shows one thing, that when you lose control of the labor market, a gigantic security hole opens that can be exploited by hostile powers. This is for real today. We know that Russia wants to carry out and has carried out actions on European territory. It is enough to look at all the planned sabotage that has now been uncovered around Europe. Railways, industries and military protection objects have been targeted and therefore what is now happening in Hungary is totally unacceptable, not only for Hungary but for the whole of Europe. Hungary opens up a sour cream, especially to Russian and Belarusian workers, who are then given free movement in Europe. The safety hole in the European labour market is becoming much larger. The following question should be put to Mr Orbán and the Hungarian Government: What kind of labour force can you not find anywhere else in Europe or in a friendly country, but makes you have to turn specifically to Russia? Why now when Russia is waging a full-scale war of aggression in Ukraine? Honestly, I don't understand. And to the Commission, I would like to ask this: What can we do here in the European Parliament to support you in your scrutiny and to ensure greater control and secure Europe's borders at a time of turmoil?

Madam President, I would like to thank you for your The Commission! In Sweden, we are today regularly reached by alarms that gang criminals run health centers and treatment centers. About construction companies that pay undocumented $45 an hour to clean up asbestos. About employees who are forced to withdraw their salary in cash and then pay back the money to the employer. About union safety representatives who are abused when trying to inspect a workplace. Today, one in ten gang criminals in Sweden also runs a company. Companies where you make money by exploiting other people. If we are to tackle organised crime, we must, as many have said, go after the money. But then we must also combat the criminal enterprise that is spreading. If we're going to succeed in this, we have to work together. Europe and the EU need to do more. Europol needs more resources for more joint police operations and to strengthen intelligence work. We need to strengthen cooperation to stop the import of weapons and drugs into our ports. But we also need to clean up the labour market. The long chains of subcontractors must be cut. Procurement rules must be changed and we must have a common disqualification order in Europe. If we are to combat organised crime, we must also combat criminal entrepreneurship.

Mr President, thank you for the floor. I want to talk on behalf of all those who have supported our call to ensure a meaningful vote for the whole Parliament on the Directive for adequate minimum wages. I want to start by thanking Marianne Vind, Nikolaj Villumsen, Malin Björk and other colleagues from different groups and Member States who have contributed to collecting signatures. Because, colleagues, the proposal for a Directive on adequate minimum wages in the EU is perhaps one of the most important files during this mandate. It is therefore only reasonable that the whole Parliament get a meaningful say on our position, not just the 35 Members who voted in favour of the mandate in the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL). By voting against the trilogue mandate today we would secure a meaningful vote on the directive in the plenary in December. Otherwise, we will not see this file until it’s a done deal after the trilogues. Council has not yet adopted its position so we can afford the three weeks requested to ensure a democratic and meaningful vote on Parliament’s position. I therefore urge you to vote against a negotiating mandate for the minimum wage file today. I would also like to tell you about the specific concerns from a Swedish and Danish perspective. In our countries, businesses, trade unions and all political parties across the spectrum, all agree that this proposal risks undermining our well-functioning collective bargaining models. In all political groups here in Parliament, Danish and Swedish colleagues have tried to get support for meaningful safeguards for our labour market models. Unfortunately, our concerns are not reflected in the committee report, so voting against the mandate today will also give us more time to find a solution. In conclusion, give us time to find solutions by voting against the negotiating mandate.

Mr President, thank you very much. 560 billion SEK, this is how much money the EU spends on agriculture every year. That is why I am particularly pissed off when review after review shows how entrepreneurs in the sector are exploiting people on our continent without scruples, and in the most serious way. It is about people who are forced to sleep like animals in cold stables or in dilapidated barns, broken protective clothing and dangerous machines. And perhaps worst of all: accidents and deaths that are obscured and silenced. It is an insult to everyone who works in agriculture and forestry and it is an insult to all serious entrepreneurs who fight in the sector. That is why I am glad that we are finally putting in place a powerful means of economic pressure in the EU's agricultural policy. Cheaters, criminals and pure slave drivers should not be allowed to share in our tax money. Together, we can bring order to European agriculture and forestry.

Madam President, thank you very much. Commissioner Schmit! I was born the same year that asbestos was banned in Sweden. Next year it will be 40 years ago and despite that, asbestos is still the single largest cause of work-related death in both Sweden and the rest of Europe. How we act now will determine whether that is still the case when my own children reach my current age. This is a responsibility that rests heavily on us legislators. It is our responsibility to ensure a world with both less asbestos in our buildings and fewer sick people due to exposure to asbestos. The report now before Parliament is an ambitious step in the right direction. Firstly, we call for the limit values for asbestos exposure to be lowered. The basic rule in the EU must be that asbestos should never be handled without adequate permits, knowledge and protective measures. We also require public asbestos registers. Safety representatives, workers and employers must be able to check the buildings in which work is to be carried out and take the necessary measures. Thirdly, as many have already mentioned, this autumn's energy prices and the crisis we see there have shown the need to improve the energy efficiency of the housing stock. If we are to do this safely, the asbestos must also be handled safely. At EU level and in the Member States, major support programmes are now being launched for this renovation. But with generous support, it should also follow strict requirements. If you violate the laws and regulations we have regarding asbestos, you will be liable for a refund. Public funds should not go to companies that put workers at risk. No one should have to die from their work. Finally, to Commissioner Schmit, thank you very much for the ambitious answers and far-reaching commitments you made today. I hope that what you said, what we set out in Parliament in our report today, leads to concrete measures that protect workers' lives.

Mr President, thank you very much. More than 400 people lose their lives on EU roads every week. It is truck drivers, bus drivers, families with children, someone's friend, parents or children, and it is important to remember that road safety is also a health and safety issue. In Sweden, only in the last ten years 66 truck drivers have died at work and the European Transport Workers' Union showed in a survey that 60 percent of truck drivers regularly drive tired. The problems also risk increasing with the growing platform economy, where workers are usually pushed to the limit. If we are to reduce deaths on our roads, we must focus on all the men and women who drive trucks, buses, taxis or carry out road works. Finally, I would also like to emphasise the importance of standards for crash dummies that represent the entire population. The fact that female crash dummies are not used today is unacceptable and contributes to reduced road safety.

Mr President, thank you very much. The climate challenge is the big issue of our time. If we are to succeed, it is urgent to change the transport sector. Ambitious proposals on sustainable fuels for aviation and maritime transport are therefore welcome. Obtaining binding and ambitious targets for the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure will be a central part of the work. However, in addition to technological solutions, we will need popular support for the climate transition, which is why we need to distribute the costs of the transition fairly. The one who has the most releases the most and therefore also has to pay the most. The climate transition cannot be financed by car-dependent workers in sparsely populated areas or the assistant nurse's electricity bill. All these people who live on small margins, working poor, poor pensioners, those who need the car in their daily work, cannot bear the great cost. Indeed, without popular support, guided by a just transition in the design of the legislative proposals, we will never be able to become a climate-neutral Union.

Madam President, thank you very much. ‘It has come to our attention that you have written about trade union issues in one of the company’s chat groups.’ This was the first line of an email in which a Swedish gig company called up an employee to the area manager. Colleagues! Hundreds of years ago, Europe’s workers stood with their hats in hand waiting for work – without security, without rights, without a stable income. Through trade union struggles, the right to decent working conditions was won. The hat is back. This time it's in the form of a mobile phone. Sure, there may be reason to praise gig companies for innovative apps, but it's not innovation to oppose union organization. Paying starvation wages is not an innovation. It is not an innovation to let employees take the financial risk of non-driving. It's not the future. That's backing the band for a hundred years. The EU cannot and should not solve all problems. But the EU must guarantee the fundamental rights of its citizens. It also includes the right to unionise. This is a right that platform workers should also have the opportunity to realize.