WELCOME TO THE EUROPEAN PORTAL OF
TRADE UNIONS IN TOURISM

The tourism industry is a relatively young but dynamically growing business in Europe. The initial package tour trade and, increasingly, the use of the Internet and low cost airlines, have raised it to the size it has today.

As in every quickly growing business, job protection, ups and downs hot and cold baths of economic development reinforce the pressure on workers. No uniform wage standard exists apart from some peculiarities specific to certain countries.

Whilst the employers’ side is marked by companies active Europe-wide, representation of workers’ interests still appears fragmented.
With the foundation of the European Trade Union Liaison Committee on Tourism (ETLC) a mouthpiece was created to speak with one voice and to represent workers’ interests both to the European institutions and at European level generally.

With this Internet platform, a further step for the common presence of trade unions in the European tourism industry is being taken:

• We report currently on developments and important events in the tourism industry.

• We present our opinions on central topics, as well as the principal documents and presentations from our annual conferences.

• We show the way to the European trade union federations in the tourism industry, to their national member unions and to the ETUC.

• We support the establishment of European Works Councils by making the necessary materials available, as well as providing the link to experts and European institutions.

• We give information on current political topics which are being processed by the EU Commission and which are of trade union interest.