CELSI researcher Adam Šumichrast took part in a closed expert workshop and the subsequent ETUI conference “The road to 80% Collective Bargaining coverage” held in Brussels on 2 March 2026.

The events focused on the implementation of the EU Directive on Adequate Minimum Wages, which requires Member States with collective bargaining coverage below 80% to prepare national action plans to strengthen collective bargaining systems.

While only nine Member States currently meet the 80% threshold, eighteen countries are required to adopt such plans. Although the deadline expired at the end of 2025, only half of them have submitted their plans to the European Commission so far.

At the closed expert workshop organised by the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI), Adam presented the broader context, content and current state of the Slovak national action plan, adopted in December last year. Slovakia is among the countries that have already submitted their plan, alongside Czechia and several others.

The discussion addressed both the opportunities and structural constraints related to increasing collective bargaining coverage, as well as the evolving political dynamics surrounding the Directive’s implementation.

The public conference that followed drew on recent ETUI research, including the report “Here Comes the Sun” by Torsten Müller (link in the comments), analysing the political impact and implementation of the Directive.

As repeatedly emphasised during the debate, collective bargaining remains one of the most effective instruments for ensuring decent wages and working conditions. At the same time, declining coverage rates across Europe, increasing employer resistance, and mounting political pressures on the European social model pose significant challenges to reaching the 80% target.

🎥 A video recording of the conference is available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1r4-DrCckak&t=903s

👉️ Read the report by ETUI senior researcher Torsten Müller: https://www.etui.org/publications/here-comes-sun

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