REALSTUFF: Pedalling toward wage equality

European Trade Union Confederation General Secretary Luca Visentini explains how dramatic differences in wages exist not just between Eastern and Western Europe, but also within developed European countries like Belgium. He sees the role of collective bargaining and the Trade Unions as being one of slowly but surely pedalling toward equality of social protections and rights.

“I got this nice bicycle I received it as the first gift after I was elected general secretary of the ETUC in 2015 and you know it is a symbol of my way to equality as I will say. I have to pedal to get to equality and I decided to put in the basket of the bicycle my social security card in Belgium that is not something that everyone can get and benefit from. And so let’s say it’s also another symbol of the long way we have to reach real equality even in a well-developed country like Belgium in terms of social protections and social rights.”