Every year, public authorities in the EU spend 14 per cent of GDP – around 2 trillion euros – on purchases of goods and services. That’s a lot of money – and a powerful lever for strengthening collective bargaining. The EU's minimum wage law has set an 80 per cent target for collective bargaining coverage across member states. Public procurement is one of the most effective ways of reaching it.

Since the launch of UNI's Europa's #ProcuringDecentWork campaign three years ago, over 180 Members of European Parliament, an EMPL Committee study, the European Court of Auditors, researchers, experts, social partners in cleaning, security and catering all support a change in EU public procurement rules.

Now, as the next EU mandate begins, it is time to turn words into actions and change EU public procurement rules. We therefore ask you, as a Member of European Parliament, to pledge (again) to work towards such a change.

Since the Covid-19 crisis, care workers, cleaners, call centre workers, logistics and postal workers, security guards and all essential workers have been risking their lives to keep our society going. At the same time, they are among the lowest paid and most precarious workers in the EU. Many of them work in publicly procured projects.

Yet too many essential workers are left without a voice. In this way, these companies not only become less accountable to their own workers but also the general public. Meanwhile other companies are forced to also drive down workers’ pay and conditions in order to compete.

Public funding must not be complicit in fuelling this race to the bottom. Public contracts should not go to companies that seek a competitive advantage by suppressing workers' say and driving poverty wages and sub-standard working conditions.

As a Member of the European Parliament, I pledge to work towards ensuring that companies can only be awarded public contracts if they have implemented collective agreements. I support the campaign to change EU public procurement rules to ensure:

• no public contracts for companies without collective agreements;
• a clear political undertaking by the European Commission for this simple change now, followed by a swift legislative initiative.

Signatories:

1. Dennis Radtke, Germany, EPP

2. Gabriele Bischoff, Germany, S&D

3. Sara Matthieu, Belgium, Greens/EFA

4. Per Clausen, Denmark, The Left

5. Manuela Ripa, Germany, EPP

6. Marianne Vind, Denmark, S&D

7. Irena Joveva, Slovenia, Renew

8. Kim van Sparrentak, Netherlands, Greens/EFA

9. Leïla Chaibi, France, The Left

10. Anna Cavazzini, Germany, Greens/EFA

11. Kathleen Van Brempt, Belgium, S&D

12. Marc Botenga, Belgium, The Left

13. David Cormand, France, Greens/EFA

14. Niels Geuking, Germany, EPP

15. Estelle Ceulemans, Belgium, S&D

16. Johan Danielsson, Sweden, S&D

17. Iratxe García Pérez , Spain, S&D

18. Evelyn Regner, Austria, S&D

19. Catarina Martins, Portugal, The Left

20. Martin Schirdewan, Germany, The Left

21. Adnan Dibrani, Sweden, S&D

22. Alex Agius Saliba, Malta, S&D

23. Alexandra Geese, Germany, Greens/EFA

24. Ana Miranda Paz, Spain, Greens/EFA

25. Andreas Schieder, Austria, S&D

26. Anja Hazekamp, Netherlands, The Left

27. Aurore Lalucq, France, S&D

28. Bas Eickhout, Netherlands, Greens/EFA

29. Bernd Lange, Germany, S&D

30. Birgit Sippel, Germany, S&D

31. Brando Benifei, Italy, S&D

32. Branislav Ondruš, Slovakia, NI

33. César Luena, Spain, S&D

34. Christel Schaldemose, Denmark, S&D

35. Cristina Maestre, Spain, S&D

36. Damien Carême, France, The Left

37. Daniel Freund, Germany, Greens/EFA

38. Delara Burkhardt, Germany, S&D

39. Diana Riba I Giner, Spain, Greens/EFA

40. Eero Heinäluoma, Finland, S&D

41. Elena Kountoura, Greece, The Left

42. Erik Marquardt, Germany, Greens/EFA

43. Estrella Galán, Spain, The Left

44. Evin Incir, Sweden, S&D

45. Günther Sidl, Austria, S&D

46. Hanna Gedin, Sweden, The Left

47. Hannah Neumann, Germany, Greens/EFA

48. Hannes Heide, Austria, S&D

49. Heléne Fritzon, Sweden, S&D

50. Jens Geier, Germany, S&D

51. Jonas Sjöstedt, Sweden, The Left

52. Jonás Fernández Álvarez, Spain, S&D

53. José Ignacio Sánchez Amor, Spain, S&D

54. Juan Fernando, Lopez, Spain, S&D

55. Jutta Paulus, Germany, Greens/EFA

56. Katarina Barley, Germany, S&D

57. Kateřina Konečná, Czech Republic, NI

58. Kathleen Funchion, Ireland, The Left

59. Katrin Langensiepen, Germany, Greens/EFA

60. Kira Marie Peter-Hansen, Denmark, Greens/EFA

61. Konstantinos Arvanitis, Greece, The Left

62. Lara Wolters, Netherlands, S&D

63.Tilly, Metz, Luxembourg, Greens/EFA

64. Lina Galvez, Spain, S&D

65. Manon Aubry, France, The Left

66. Marc Angel, Luxembourg, S&D

67. Marcos Ros Sempere, Spain, S&D

68. Maria Noichl, Germany, S&D

69. Marie Toussaint, France, Greens/EFA

70. Marina Mesure, France, The Left

71. Martin Häusling, Germany, Greens/EFA

72. Matjaž Nemec, Slovenia, S&D

73. Matthias Ecke, Germany, S&D

74. Michael Bloss, Germany, Greens/EFA

75. Mohammed Chahim, Netherlands, S&D

76. Monika Beňová, Slovakia, NI

77. Mounir Satouri, France, Greens/EFA

78. Nicolás González Casares, Spain, S&D

79. Niels Fuglsang, Denmark, S&D

80. Nora Mebarek, France, S&D

81. Ondrej Dostál , Czech Republic, NI

82. Özlem Demirel, Germany, The Left

83. Pierfrancesco Maran, Italy, S&D

84. Predrag Fred Matić, Croatia, S&D

85. Raphaël Glucksmann, France, S&D

86. Rasmus Andresen, Germany, Greens/EFA

87. René Repasi, Germany, S&D

88. Romana Jerković , Croatia, S&D

89. Younous Omarjee, France, The Left

90. Sabrina Repp, Germany, S&D

91. Saskia Bricmont, Belgium, Greens/EFA

92. Sofie Eriksson, Sweden, S&D

93. Terry Reintke, Germany, Greens/EFA

94. Thijs Reuten, Netherlands, S&D

95. Thomas Waitz, Austria, Greens/EFA

96. Tiemo Wölken, Germany, S&D

97. Tineke Strik, Netherlands, Greens/EFA

98. Tobias Cremer, Germany, S&D

99. Udo Bullmann, Germany, S&D

100. Li Andersson, Finland, The Left

101. Villy Søvndal, Denmark, Greens/EFA

102. Rudi Kennes, Belgium, The Left

103. Elisabeth Grossmann, Austria, S&D

104. Alicia Homs Ginel, Spain, S&D

105. Anthony Smith, France, The Left

106. Marco Tarquinio, Italy, S&D

107. Carola Rackete, Germany, The Left

108. Merja Kyllönen, Finland, The Left

109. Rima Hassan, France, The Left