EFBWW

26/08/2026

The Brenner Base Tunnel will become the world's longest underground rail connection, linking Austria and Italy beneath the Alps 🇮🇹🇦🇹

It is one of those European flagship projects politicians are happy to talk about. What they rarely talk about is that projects like this are not built in meeting rooms or parliaments. They depend entirely on the workers who build them.

Over the coming months major EU proposals with direct consequences for construction workers are moving through the legislative process. We will use the opportunity to showcase flagship projects politicians are proud to promote, while reminding them that Europe's infrastructure depends on workers who deserve safe workplaces, fair pay and respect for their rights wherever they work.

Which infrastructure projects do you think deserve to be highlighted?

Photo: BBT SE

25/08/2026

Less than 2 euros per hour to build a U.S. Consulate.

This reality was uncovered by Italian prosecutors in May 2026, when they launched an investigation into alleged labour exploitation at the construction site of the new U.S. Consulate in Milan. According to the investigation, hundreds of construction workers were recruited in India, only to see recruitment fees and deductions for accommodation, food and transport reduce their wages to less than 2 euros per hour.

Long before the investigation became public, Italy's construction trade unions had been trying to reach workers at the site. As early as 2023, they sought access to the largely migrant workforce but were repeatedly turned away. When prosecutors uncovered the alleged exploitation, the investigation broke through that wall of silence. On 3 June 2026, Italy's construction trade unions, together with the country's three national trade union confederations, organised a public demonstration outside the U.S. Consulate, demanding accountability and an end to labour exploitation.

The investigation has since widened. The contractor's Italian subsidiary was placed under judicial supervision, managers were arrested, and a judge concluded there were indications that the exploitation reflected broader organisational practices rather than isolated misconduct.

Trade unions expose abuses to change the system, and change is desperately needed to stop the exploitation of workers in construction. Next month, the European Commission will present its proposal to revise the EU Public Procurement Directives and EFBWW is calling on the Commission to limit subcontracting chains in public contracts.

No public money for exploitation.

18/08/2026

🏗️🤝 A European project built through European cooperation.

Construction remains one of Europe's sectors most exposed to social dumping, labour exploitation and organised crime. Ensuring same pay and same rights for the same work starts with making sure workers know what they are entitled to.

Constructionworkers.eu was created with this in mind.

Thanks to the continuous cooperation between EFBWW, our affiliated trade unions across Europe and the support of the European Union, the platform has grown into Europe's leading online information resources for migrant construction workers. Today, it provides practical information on wages, working conditions, working time, pensions, allowances and trade union contacts across 36 European countries in 40 languages.

This is a true collective achievement. Every update and contribution from our affiliates helps workers access reliable information and strengthens the fight against social dumping.

We are now working on the next phase of the project, exploring new ways to provide practical assistance and strengthen support for mobile construction workers across Europe.

🔗 www.constructionworkers.eu

11/08/2026

🌡️ Europe experiences another summer of extreme heat, and worker protection cannot be an afterthought.

Across sectors, workers face increasing risks from heat exposure. Protecting workers means adapting working conditions to a changing climate.

29/07/2026

The Construction Voice, July 2026

🟦 : EURACTIV v interviews Jean Christophe Repon on chains in at EBC-EFBWW event at the European Parliament

🟨 : EBC & 26 building/energy organisations sign a joint statement calling on the European Commission for effective implementation

🟦 : EBC welcomes the European Parliament adoption of revised EU rules, confirming mandatory prior notification for all in construction

🟨 : EBC contributes to the Commission’s impact assessment towards a

🟦 : The Commission launches infringement procedures on delays against all Member states

🟨 : Intrum’s European Payment Report 2026 highlights growing financial pressure on

🟦 : European Labour Authority’s 2025 report on labour and surpluses highlights construction trades

🟨 : Small Business Standards (SBS) concludes its campaign with its first Awards Ceremony, promoting SME-friendly standardisation

🔎 Join EBC and UIPI on 29 September in Brussels for the CondoReno final event on One-Stop Shops for renovation! Register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe879dK2x-0I5wswUuZKFNgqOxYdIQx_MsUxF1-hNyI0pRH3w/viewform

➡️ Read the full newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/ed63c88e5207/the-construction-voice-july-6427415

We wish you a great summer break! ☀️

29/07/2026

🌡️ Climate change is reshaping working conditions across Europe. Our legislation however, is not keeping pace.

The new ETUI podcast explores the findings of "Climate change and workers’ health: Protecting workers against heat and other climate-related hazards", a report co-published by European Trade Union Institute - ETUII, EFFAT European Federation of Food, Agriculture and Tourism Trade Unions, European Public Service Unions (EPSU) and EFBWW. It makes clear that occupational heat exposure is no longer an exceptional risk during heatwaves. For millions of workers, it is becoming part of everyday working life.

The discussion also looks at why Europe needs binding measures that better protect workers from heat and other climate-related workplace hazards.

🎧 Use the link to listen to the podcast

https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/etui/episodes/Working-in-extreme-heat-e3m838q

22/07/2026

The evidence is now on the table.

The ETUI has published a new report on occupational heat exposure with the latest evidence on one of Europe's fastest growing workplace risks. Co-published with the European trade union movement.

📖 Read the report below.

16/07/2026

A shared message to Brussels.

EFBWW and the European Builders Confederation EBC are calling on the European Commission to tackle excessive subcontracting as it prepares to reform the EU's public procurement rules.

In Euractiv, Bruno Bothua, former President of EFBWW, and Jean-Christophe Repon, President of the European Builders Confederation (EBC), explain why limiting excessive subcontracting has become a shared priority ahead of the Commission's proposal.

Long and complex subcontracting chains undermine accountability, enable fraud and social dumping, and make it harder to ensure fair competition and safe working conditions.

Link in comments 👇

16/07/2026

Outdoor workers cannot choose to work in the shade ☀️

Heatwaves become more frequent and more intense, so protecting workers from extreme heat is becoming a matter of occupational safety and health. It is also part of a broader challenge: ensuring outdoor workers are protected from the growing risks of extreme weather.

Together with EFFAT European Federation of Food, Agriculture and Tourism Trade Unions, European Public Service Unions (EPSU) and with the support of the ETUC, EFBWW is calling for binding EU rules to protect workers from heat stress, including the right to suspend work when temperatures become unsafe. No one should have to choose between their health and their pay.

Unions across Europe are calling on governments to introduce legislation to safeguard workers from rising temperatures, after western Europe recorded its hottest June on record.

15/07/2026

Our thoughts are with the families, friends and colleagues of the six workers who lost their lives yesterday in the fire at the OXY construction site on Place De Brouckère in central Brussels.

We also wish a full recovery to those who were injured and thank the emergency services who responded under extremely difficult circumstances.

The circumstances of this tragedy are now a matter for the competent authorities to establish.