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Since 2015 the Danish trade union KRIFA is in a huge transition. They want to reinvent themselves as a new service provider for well-being at work. However, many critics argue that KRIFA has given up what characterizes a trade union. The question remains how a labour organization can stay relevant in a country which has one of the highest developed social systems on earth. Time for a visit what could be trade union 2.0.

Four out of five goods are delivered to your home in a truck. Igor is one of those people driving a truck. He spends three months in the cabin of his vehicle in order to spend one week with his family in Kaunas, Lithuania. Igor is member of the trade union Solidarumas whose purpose is to assist drivers in need. In this episode you will listen to perspectives on road transportation from Igor, his family, representatives from Solidarumas and from the European Labour Authority.

Christa Schweng is President of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC). This institution is a consultative body of the EU. It describes itself as a bridge between Europe and organized civil society. In the interview we talked about the impact of the war in Ukraine on the EESC, about the role of youth in the EU and about the conference on the future of Europe.

Bulgaria’s population is shrinking. For decades people at working age are emigrating the country in hope for better working conditions and higher wages abroad. Some sectors like healthcare are dearly needed, yet the payments there stay on a low level. Protests increase, while trade unions like Podkrepa, a member of the EZA network, try to negotiate between workers, employers and the government. An episode about job perspectives in Bulgaria.

It’s something, that makes the EU unique. Its sophisticated design of the welfare state protects us from the risks of life such as unemployment, illness, and aging. Some people argue it’s too expensive and its funding inhibits economic growth. Scientists from HIVA and EUROFOUND would strongly disagree. In this episode, we’ll find out that the contrary is true. The welfare state is an economic and social advantage, and we should put lots of effort into reinforcing it.

Millions of products are just a mouse click away. It just takes us one or two days of waiting until we’ll get our product delivered by Amazon. It’s a comfortable system for us as customers. But how about the people working there? In this episode, we talk to Ellen Reese and Jake Alimahomed-Wilson who published a book about Amazon’s system: The Cost of Free Shipping – Amazon in the Global Economy. We also listen to the insights of Norbert Faltin, a former works council at Amazon to find out how dangerous Amazon is for workers but also for the democracy...

England is the motherland of industry and workers as we know them. Especially the north of the country is very proud of this heritage. However, due to Brexit and deregulation, times get harder and harder for workers. We’ll travel to the EZA-member St. Antony’s Centre in Manchester and Blackpool to find out how Brexit has dramatically affected social cohesion in the UK.