Particularly in the run up to Christmas, Amazon’s business is booming. Criticism of the tech giant appears not to have impact on consumers’ shopping behaviour -  the power of the company, based on dubious and anti-trade union strategies, is growing.

The EU Commission is currently working intensively on regulatory procedures for internet platforms. Hence, the ideal time to discuss the problems incurred because of these internet giants and the various approaches for solutions within the framework of an evening event on December 3rd by AK EUROPA und ÖGB Europabüro.

ÖGB Europabüro, the Brussels Office of the Austrian Trade Union Federation and AK EUROPA, the Brussels Office of the Austrian Federal Chamber of Labour would like to cordially invite you to our joint event:

The hearings of the 1st round of the Commissioners-designate ended on October 8th 2019 in the European Parliament with the three executive Vice Presidents. In the afternoon, it was Margrethe Vestager’s turn, Commissioner-designate for Competition and also Executive Vice President-designate for a “Europe fit for the digital age”. It would be her second term in office in the European Commission.

Tax avoidance and profit shifting by multinationals pose a significant problem for most EU Member States. Since this problem is so widespread, it has become a major question of equitableness. Digitalisation and the increasing importance of intangible assets (brands, algorithms, data, etc.) are additional challenges to international taxation (of profits). A change to the system of international profit taxation towards a consolidated profit approach and formular apportionment (including a minimum profit tax rate) is the best way to get this problem under control.

A new study published by AK EUROPA shows how much influence internet companies such as Uber, Airbnb, Amazon, Deliveroo and co. have on European legislation. The thought behind this study is to shed light on the increasing and intransparent lobbying activities of the platform companies in Brussels

Competition policy is an important part of economic policy. In an economic system based on a market economy, competition policy has to determine the conditions for a competitive framework which ensure that competition between economic players functions and anti-competitive behaviour is stopped and penalised.

The challenges of digital change for trade unions were the topic of an event organised by AK EUROPA and the ÖGB Europabüro on 24 April 2019. Agnes Streissler-Führer and Esther Lynch discussed the subject “Trade unions: Fit for the digital world?” and described possibilities of how digitalisation could be shaped socially.

ÖGB Europabüro, the Brussels Office of the Austrian Trade Union Federation and AK EUROPA, the Brussels Office of the Austrian Federal Chamber of Labour would like to cordially invite you to our joint event:

Trade unions: Fit for the digital world?  

A discussion with Agnes Streissler-Führer and Esther Lynch on how trade unions themselves could tackle the digital challenge