On 25 and 26 May 2021, EUROMIL participated in launching its joint project with EPSU and EuroCOP on ‘Strengthening and Defending Trade Union Rights in the Public Sector.’ The joint project intends to assess current legislative frameworks across the EU regarding trade union rights for public sector workers, including the military and police forces. Led by Alexander de Backer from University of Ghent, the research will analyse the context specific nature of policy and practice on this issue and will include a number of regional side meetings to span across 2021 and into 2022.

The launch conference kicked off with an overview of workers’ rights in public services in Europe from Mr de Backer, followed by a presentation on the treatment of public service workers in European social directives from Adam Pokorny, Head of Unit at DG Employment. Both sessions gave a detailed and in depth analysis of the current situation regarding EU policy for public sector workers and trade unions and delved into the challenges arising out of the different approaches across member states.

Mr de Backer highlighted the issue over differing terminology and what exactly is meant by ‘worker’ and has instead decided to use the term ‘official’ during the research. Perhaps most interestingly for EUROMIL members, the point was made that although the main aim is to achieve collective bargaining rights for military personnel (in the case of EUROMIL and its members), it is the right to strike that will ensure workers can ever be fully at the negotiating table. EUROMIL President Emmanuel Jacob expressed frustrations, echoed by many, over the exclusion clauses within the regulations, with Mr Pokorny responding by pointing out that, at least within the Work Life Balance Directive, there is no allowance made for the exclusion of public sector workers. Nonetheless, while that may be so, participants rightfully highlighted the dangers to democracy where there are public servants who are prevented from accessing their full and fundamental rights.

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