Survey: Majority of EU citizens support pro-worker public procurement policies

Millions of workers in the EU are employed through public contracts, which set standards influencing pay and working conditions throughout the private sector.

Key findings from the survey include:

- 65% of respondents want public contracts awarded based on price, quality, green, and social criteria.

- Wages and working conditions emerge as the top priority, with 46.4% of respondents saying it would justify a higher price.

- 83% of respondents want union busters and underpaying companies excluded.

- 72% of respondents want authorities to prioritize companies with collective agreements.

The proportion of citizens advocating for factors beyond price in public tenders has risen significantly from 52% to 65% since a similar survey conducted in 2011.

The survey was commissioned by UNI Europa, representing seven million service workers across Europe, and conducted by independent polling firm Opinea. It gathered responses from over 6,080 participants across six European countries: Czechia, France, Germany, Ireland, Poland, and Spain.

Their preferences for making procurement more social align with demands by workers and trade unions. On October 1, 2024, over one thousand essential workers from nine countries mobilized in Brussels advocating for public procurement reform aimed at improving pay and conditions. UNI Europa research indicates that half of all public tenders across the EU are awarded solely based on the lowest price due to existing procurement rules.

In an open letter signed by over one hundred economists including Thomas Piketty and Isabella Weber criticized the “dominant focus on the lowest price in tenders,” supporting calls for reform aimed at strengthening collective bargaining. Even employers' organizations within labor-intensive industries such as cleaning, security, and catering emphasize moving away from an exclusive focus on price.

“European citizens are joining essential workers, world-leading economists, and employers to say: EU rules should stop focusing on the lowest price only, but set standards on working conditions, pay and quality across the economy,” concluded Oliver Roethig.

About UNI Europa:

UNI Europa is headquartered in Brussels representing seven million service workers through its affiliation with UNI Global Union. It represents two hundred seventy-two national trade unions spanning fifty countries covering over a dozen economic sectors.