Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Hundreds of industrial workers from Europe gather for a rally outside the European Union in Brussels to protest.

Organised by IndustriAll Europe, this rally aims to highlight the pressing need for an active industrial policy in solving the crisis, which has been running in a number of sectors, such as the steel and automotive sectors, for some time.

IndustriAll General Secretary Judith Kirton-Darling stated there was an “industrial crisis” across the continent.

“What we need is good quality jobs in the industry, and we need massive investment to tackle the challenges of climate change and digitalisation,”

She said.

Different trade unions with different sectors made a demonstration across Europe, showcasing the solidarity between workers facing a similar challenge in their respective European countries. Their leaders emphasised collective action to make better working conditions and protections achievable.

How did the previous October 1 protest highlight worker grievances?

In a similar protest on October 1, 2024, about a thousand essential workers, including cleaning and security staff as well as those in catering services, gathered in Brussels to demonstrate outside EU institutions. 

The workers demanded better working conditions and reforms in the public procurement directives by the EU regarding how public authorities award contracts. Workers pointed out their grievances with low wages, excessive workloads, and no professional recognition of their contributions. 

The protesters urged EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to overrule public procurement rules, insisting public funds should improve workers’ conditions rather than serve “bad employers.” The cleaning staff of the European Parliament criticised the conditions on the job site, which it said were going from bad to worse since the time spent on any specific task was much reduced.