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Jan Willem Goudriaan

@jwgoudriaan.bsky.social

1.7K followers 1.6K following 1.7K posts

General Secretary EPSU - European Public Service Union www.epsu.org ETUC - PSI People and Planet Before Profits Twitter/X @JW_Goudriaan

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Jan Willem Goudriaan @jwgoudriaan.bsky.social · Jul 8

Unions across Europe celebrated public service workers on 23 june 2025. With powerful messages of resistance to austerity and commercialisation. With actions for higher wages. Around the @epsu.bsky.social agenda
Txs.

@estherlynch.bsky.social
@labournetgermany.bsky.social
@unionnews.bsky.social

EPSU @epsu.bsky.social · Jul 8

🎉 A big thank you to all EPSU affiliates!

Thousands of public service workers made their voices heard on #PSDay2025!

From Türkiye to Belgium, UK to Kazakhstan — from fire stations to hospitals, we said it loud: #NoToAusterity

🎥 Watch this powerful video👇🏾

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Jan Willem Goudriaan @jwgoudriaan.bsky.social · 18h

Been some time I reported on the Birmingham Binmen #strike with @unitetheunion.bsky.social

They are still going strong and organised protests this week as the Council spends millions on agency work to deal with waste

#solidarity

@epsu.bsky.social
@labornotes.bsky.social

Reposted by Jan Willem Goudriaan

Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 1d

Trump is using our tax dollars to buy Argentine pesos to bail out the country's failing libertarian economy.

My friend Rohit Chopra explains how this will hurt struggling Americans here at home.

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Jan Willem Goudriaan @jwgoudriaan.bsky.social · 1d

Research from Germany -with a collective agreement workers earn 10% more wage;and they work an hour less per week

The other way around: without a union, nearly a month's wages less per year;and working a week longer

It pays to be union

@epsu.bsky.social
@etui.bsky.social
@unionnews.bsky.social

Hans-Böckler-Stiftung @boeckler-stiftung.bsky.social · 1d

Das #Tariftreuegesetz ist heute im Bundestag. Es ist ein wichtiger erster Schritt, um faire Bezahlung nach Tarif zu stärken. Aber der Regierungsentwurf hat noch Lücken, die die Abgeordneten schließen müssen.

Dass sich #Tarif lohnt, zeigt unsere Forschung: www.boeckler.de/de/boeckler-...

Grafik: Beschäftigte in tarifgebundenen Betrieben arbeiten 53 Minuten pro Woche weniger und bekommen 10,2% mehr Lohn.

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Jan Willem Goudriaan @jwgoudriaan.bsky.social · 1d

the death penalty and assassinations sponsored by authoritarian regimes are used as a political tool against political opponents, independent journalists, and human rights defenders."

These political opponents, journalists, human rights defenders can be trade unionists.

@epsu.bsky.social

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Jan Willem Goudriaan @jwgoudriaan.bsky.social · 1d

World day against the death penalty

Position of the European Parliament against the death penalty

-It has been proven that the death penalty does not deter crime and that its imposition disproportionately affects vulnerable groups. Moreover, in today's more authoritarian global environment, ...

10 October: European and World Day Against the Death Penalty | News | European Parliament

Mounir Satouri, Chair of the subcommittee on Human Rights, issued a statement today, on the occasion of the European and World Day Against the Death Penalty.

www.europarl.europa.eu

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Reposted by Jan Willem Goudriaan

Viri Pettersen @mspetter.bsky.social · 2d

Books are still being banned but most remain on shelves thanks to heroes who refuse to bow to censorship.

Librarians, teachers, students, and readers everywhere are keeping the flame of free expression alive.
Stand with them.
Speak out.
#BannedBooksWeek

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Reposted by Jan Willem Goudriaan

EPSU @epsu.bsky.social · 3d

The Pan-European Utilities Conference is officially open in Ljubljana!

Union leaders, experts and public service workers from across Europe are meeting to discuss how to build safe, democratic and sustainable utilities for the future.

Stay tuned today and tomorrow for exciting debates!

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Reposted by Jan Willem Goudriaan

EPSU @epsu.bsky.social · 2d

A clear message from today’s panel:

👉 You can say yes to AI or you can say no - but there’s no middle ground.

Workers and unions must decide, act, and make their voices heard.

Silence means letting others choose the future of work for us.

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Reposted by Jan Willem Goudriaan

EPSU @epsu.bsky.social · 2d

@thewhynotlab.com urges unions not to wait for regulation - act now.

Map where AI and digital systems are used, hold management accountable, and draw clear red lines.

Collective bargaining is our strongest tool to shape a fair digital future. 💪🤖

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Reposted by Jan Willem Goudriaan

EPSU @epsu.bsky.social · 2d

@aida.follows.technology reminds us that AI isn’t neutral.
Without transparency and regulation, it can deepen power imbalances at work and within societies.

Workers need a say - and unions must be at the table from day one.

@etui.bsky.social

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Reposted by Jan Willem Goudriaan

EPSU @epsu.bsky.social · 2d

⚡ ver.di (Germany):

The AfD claims to be the party of the worker - but it’s a lie.

They’re the only party openly backing climate denialism, while attacking unions and collective rights.

Unions must expose this hypocrisy if we want to achieve a just transition that truly serves workers.

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Reposted by Jan Willem Goudriaan

EPSU @epsu.bsky.social · 2d

“Environmentalism without class struggle is just gardening.”

Powerful words to close our panel on Climate denialism and the far right - a reminder that climate action without workers is hollow.

We need alliances that unite labour and environmental movements to take on the far right together. 🌍✊

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Jan Willem Goudriaan @jwgoudriaan.bsky.social · 2d

European Works Council Directive adopted

Are all agreements in line and future proof ?

For the text:
www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/comm...

@epsu.bsky.social

Reposted by Jan Willem Goudriaan

EASPD @easpd.eu · 2d

€100 billion for social spending sounds like progress, but is all as it seems? EASPD joins 51 European organisations calling for a greater commitment to social inclusion in the next #EUbudget.

Read our statement here➡️ easpd.eu/news-detail/...

#ESFplus #SocialRights

Image of a megaphone and speech bubble. Text Reads ‘100 billion Euros for social spending? The devil’s in the details.’

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Reposted by Jan Willem Goudriaan

EPSU @epsu.bsky.social · 2d

Latest proposals for the next #EUBudget include a €100 billion target for social spending.

Yet in practice, the absence of guarantees risks less investment in social inclusion and people.

Read our review of the EU’s social spending proposals here: www.epsu.org/article/mff-...

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Jan Willem Goudriaan @jwgoudriaan.bsky.social · 2d

by supporting the ‘Sevilla Platform for Action’ on taxing the super-rich.

@psiglobalunion.bsky.social
@ituc.bsky.social

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Jan Willem Goudriaan @jwgoudriaan.bsky.social · 2d

EU countries to act domestically by increasing taxes on the income and wealth of the richest 1% to significantly reduce inequality

EU and member states to play a more constructive role globally by actively promoting an ambitious UN Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation, and

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Jan Willem Goudriaan @jwgoudriaan.bsky.social · 2d

Hence @oxfameu.bsky.social calls for
Oxfam calls for:
EU to adopt roadmap to tax super-rich, with feasible and practical steps to end favourable tax treatments for wealthiest, improve data collection and transparency on their assets, and ensure adequate taxation of capital and wealth across EU and

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Jan Willem Goudriaan @jwgoudriaan.bsky.social · 2d

primarily by ordinary Europeans.

In contrast, corporate taxes contribute just 9%, and wealth taxes a mere 0.4%.

Ten EU countries have no inheritance tax, and only Spain has a net wealth tax.

No EU policies to curb extreme wealth concentration and prevent tax avoidance by the wealthiest.

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Jan Willem Goudriaan @jwgoudriaan.bsky.social · 2d

Inequality not accidental. The result of policy choices. Decades of tax cuts for wealthy and corporations

Super-rich pay proportionally less tax than ordinary citizens, undermining fairness, democracy, and social cohesion

Today, 8 in every 10 euros of tax revenue in EU come from taxes paid...

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Jan Willem Goudriaan @jwgoudriaan.bsky.social · 2d

European governments relatively poorer.

Governments owned 10% of total national wealth in 1995,
compared to just 6% today

If public wealth at 1995 levels, EU governments would have had an additional €3.6tn in 2023 = their aggregate expenditure on social protection that year

@epsu.bsky.social

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Jan Willem Goudriaan @jwgoudriaan.bsky.social · 2d

From @oxfameu.bsky.social
Deep inequality crisis:
Wealth EU billionaires grew by €405 billion in just six months — over €2 billion a day

EU counts nearly 500 billionaires,39 more than last year

Richest 3,600 Europeans (richest 0.001%) own as much wealth as poorest 181 million people (poorest 50%)

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Jan Willem Goudriaan @jwgoudriaan.bsky.social · 2d

New @oxfameu.bsky.social report on wealth inequalities

Scandalous growth of billionaire class and their money

No fairly and appropriately taxing them means underfunding public services, social protection...

The farright is not addressing this, protecting the billionaires

@epsu.bsky.social

Oxfam EU @oxfameu.bsky.social · 3d

📢 EU Billionaires’ wealth surges by over €400bn in first half of 2025.

That’s over €2bn a day.

🔗https://www.oxfam.org/en/press-releases/eu-billionaires-wealth-surges-over-eu400-billion-first-half-2025

#TaxTheRich

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Jan Willem Goudriaan @jwgoudriaan.bsky.social · 2d

Just heard the sad news the Turkish authorities @mfaturkiyep.bsky.social have kept the restrictions against the trade unionists of @sesgenelmerkezi.bsky.social They are not free to move. Next hearing early January 2026.

@epsu.bsky.social remains in full support and #solidarity with the unionists

Jan Willem Goudriaan @jwgoudriaan.bsky.social · 2d

Worthwhile listening to

And the book on limiting wealth and why this is important, makes for good reading and arguments. So many counter-arguments - why it is not good to limit wealth - do not make sense and have little empirical base, let alone democratic underpinning

@epsu.bsky.social

Oxfam International @oxfaminternational.bsky.social · 3d

New @equalshope.bsky.social’s episode is out: How Much Wealth is Too Much?

Philosopher @ingridrobeyns.bsky.social explains why we need a wealth limit & how billionaires are quietly breaking democracy.

🎧 Listen here 👉 www.equals.ink/p/how-much-w...

How Much Wealth Is Too Much? Ingrid Robeyns on the Case for Limitarianism

Listen now (31 mins) | Inequality, Democracy, and the Case for Limiting Extreme Wealth.