High Inflation and Wages

Our latest AGORA magazine issue is here ! Packed with thought-provoking articles and insightful perspectives. This edition of AGORA is dedicated to one of the crises that we are facing now: inflation. Whether that inflation comes from the unprecedented conflict with the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, or covid or whatever, the consequences are well known: life gets harder for people. All of that happened while we are yet to face the climate crisis which becoming more and more imminent. We are in the middle of a colossal domino effect in full force.

Every day, media outlets around Europe are unceasing to voice people’s struggle to cope with catastrophic energy bills, and the high rocketing price of basic human needs such as food, water, clothing, sleep, and shelter. People are screaming about their frozen wages while their managers are asking for their understanding, for their patients, but at the same time cannot promise better conditions. Inflation is no more a level of economic growth but has as main effect to make people poorer. Within our European institution, inflation hits first the numerous low salaries, provoking a real and absolute pauperization.

And where are we, The Union Syndicale, in the middle of this mess? Since the foundation of our Union in 1974 (during another crisis), we realize that trade union action will always be difficult, but we are an essential part of the European Union as we aim at improving the main actors of European construction: the staff. We are essential to compensate for the shortcomings of structures which are less and less able to solve the challenges of our time, whether structural (concentration of capital and development of multinational companies) or cyclical (energy crisis and economic). We believe that we can achieve anything by establishing a dialogue enabling all of us to understand each other’s problems better and find ways to resolve them. Of course, it will not be an easy road. From the origin of inflation to the worker’s problem which links to the climate and energy crisis and everything in between are all linked to one another. We have to understand that all of the crisis that we are facing today is not simple question-and-answer game such as which come first, chicken or eggs. This edition of AGORA is trying to map out the problems that we are facing today in order for us to understand where should we start.