Brussels, 7 September 2026

• TO: Competitiveness Council 
• TO: Deputy Permanent Representatives (Coreper I)
• CC: Permanent Representatives (Coreper II)
• CC: Social Attaches 

Dear Ministers, 
Dear Ambassadors,

Trade unions from all across Europe will join the ETUC and Belgian trade unions ACV-CSC, FGTB-ABVV and SYNOVA in the Rally "Enough is enough : Fix or Sink the EU Inc.! Stand up for Quality Jobs!" in front of the Council headquarters in Brussels on Thursday 24 September at 10.00.

On the occasion of the Competitiveness Council meeting, the Rally will send a strong message to the EU institutions that working people and their trade unions will not accept any undermining of workers and trade union rights through the EU Inc. / 28th regime. 

We are contacting you to ask for a meeting with a small delegation of trade union leaders at the margins of the rally.

Across Europe, in our communities, people are working harder than ever but struggling to make ends meet. Too many face insecurity, low pay, and uncertain futures while inequality continues to rise. 

At the same time, European institutions are pushing ahead with the EU Inc. / 28th Regime. The EU Inc. proposal by the Commission represents a profound threat to workers’ rights, employment standards, collective bargaining, and workers’ board-level representation across Europe.

During the rally, trade unions will call on policymakers not to allow the proposal for the EU Inc. to proceed in the form proposed by the Commission. The declared intention not to have a detrimental effect on individual and collective workers’ rights must be backed by clear legal provisions guaranteeing this. Without binding and enforceable safeguards to fully protect national labour law systems, collective agreements, trade union rights, and workers’ participation rights, the proposal constitutes an unacceptable threat to the European social model.

The Rally will also be the occasion to call on the European institutions to deliver a strong Quality Jobs Act, strengthen collective bargaining and ensure social conditionalities for EU funding. Trade unions will call on the Commission to put forward ambitious binding legislation that tackles quality jobs deficits head on.

Considering the ongoing discussions in the Council, we ask you the opportunity to organise a meeting with a small delegation of trade union representatives at the margins of the rally to present:

• the strong concerns and opposition of trade unions from across Europe to the Commission proposal for a EU Inc. / 28th regime; 
• the trade union call for ambitious binding legislation as part of the Quality Jobs Act that tackles quality jobs deficits head on. 

Please contact ETUC Director of Policy Lorenzo Repetti ([email protected]) to organise this meeting. 

Looking forward to your feedback, we would like to thank you in advance for your attention. 

Enough is enough: Fix or Sink EU Inc! Stand up for Quality Jobs!

Best regards, 

Esther Lynch, 
General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation