Leading goals in trade union work include better incomes for European workers and limiting company austerity policies that have led groups of workers to the brink of poverty.

The 18th annual conference of the European Capitals Trade Unions Network (ECTUN) has been recently held in Sofia. It was dedicated to "Transport and mobility in European capitals for better working and living conditions", focusing on the challenges of the digital age. 30 trade unions from 12 European capitals: Athens, Belgrade, Berlin, Valletta, London, Madrid, Moscow, Oslo, Paris, Rome, Riga and Sofia took part. In the Bulgarian capital city, the idea of ​​upward convergence when it comes to incomes of EU workers was promoted. "Bulgaria will continue to support the European Trade Union Confederation in the realization of this idea," Bulgarian Minister of Labor and Social Policy Bisser Petkov said upon addressing trade union delegates.

Sofia may become an example for other cities and trade unions in Europe when it comes to solving global problems at a regional level, said Ekaterina Yordanova, chairman of the Union of Transport Trade Unions at CITUB and vice-president of the European Federation of Transport Workers.

“The Sofia city transport company is among the first to become involved in European initiatives. We are currently working on a vision for Sofia with the horizon stretching as far as 2050 and on a Plan for Sustainable Urban Mobility until 2035. All planned actions are taken together with the people who use urban transport services but also with those who provide it. Our wish is through positive and inclusive campaigns to reach society and say that taking care of the Earth, of Europe, of Bulgaria, of Sofia, of each home, is personal responsibility of every one of us. We know that major investments the city had to make were related to working conditions in public transport, replacement of vehicles and the extension of metro network are of great importance. These are huge investments because they are related to repairs of main city streets and boulevards, but they provide better and safer working conditions for drivers. It is also important to improve working conditions in depots and maintenance workshops and this would be our focus. Caring for drivers is directly linked to the care of service workers, because urban transport is a complete and interlinked system. It requires equal attention to each job position.”

However, no matter how advanced technology an vehicles become, people would remain a leading factor in the sphere, the union of transport unions in Bulgaria said. "The goal of trade unions in Europe is to ensure that every working person lives above the poverty line. The goal includes improving living conditions of the middle class of working Europeans," said Luca Visentini, General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC).

“The economic model that had been applied not only in Europe but also throughout the world over the past decade was wrong. Labor market austerity measures have not contributed to a better and more stable economic model but, on the contrary, they have created an incredible gap in our society and economy without improving people's life and without changing productivity of companies. It is time to stop austerity measures and create a new model based on stability and investments in improving working conditions. People should have the leading position and the rights of workers must be protected in a better way.”

English: Alexander Markov