Collective Bargaining and Working Time Challenges in Europe - 2025

Name: Collective Bargaining and Working Time Challenges in Europe - 2025
Start: 2025-11-26T09:00:00.000Z
End: 2025-11-26T11:00:00.000Z
Location: Online

Conference on Collective Bargaining and Working Time Challenges in Europe, discussing working time policies and challenges across Europe.

Date

November 26 2025

Location

Online

Organiser

WageIndicator Foundation

About the conference

Working time is back on the collective bargaining agenda. Increasing numbers of European workers report severe time pressure and stress-related illnesses, prompting policy initiatives and workplace interventions aimed at reducing overtime and long working hours. At the same time, rising minimum wages and concerns about Europe’s competitiveness have led some employers to call for longer working hours. So, what is the way forward?

In light of the BARTIME research project, WageIndicator and its partners — the University of Utrecht, the Central European Labour Studies Institute (CELSI), and the University of Girona — held the closing conference on Collective Bargaining and Working Time Challenges in Europe.

Watch the Recording

Collective Bargaining and Working Time Challenges in Europe - AGENDA

10:00 - 10:10	Opening - Paulien Osse, WageIndicator Foundation
10:15 - 10:45	Panel: What’s going on with working time? We see concurrent efforts of governments and firms to shorten the work week (e.g., four-day work week experiments, Spain working time reduction) and lengthen the work week (e.g., India to 60 hours, Greece 13-hour work day). How should we understand this polarized discussion on working time? Chair: Janna Besamusca, Universiteit Utrecht Speakers: Kea Tijdens, WageIndicator Foundation Agnieszka Piasna, European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) Chandra Shekar, Organising Secretary All India, Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) Presentation: BARTIME_STANDARD WORKING HOURS ACROSS EUROPE AND ACROSS TIME_Kea Tijdens
10:45 - 11:00	Showcase: BARTIME Working Time Tool Speakers: Intan Citra Phonskaningtyas and Paulien Osse, WageIndicator Foundation Presentation: Time for Work - Time for Rest Tool Try out the Working Time Tool
11:00 - 11:15	Presentation: Overtime Work and Wage Adequacy Speaker: Ferran Elias Moreno, University of Girona Presentation: BARTIME_Overtime and Wage Adequacy in the European Union
11:15 - 11:30	Presentation: Promoting the declaration of overtime from the point of view of un(der)declared work Speakers: Konstantinos Koutsogiannis, European Labour Authority Ciprian-Mihai Sarghe, European Labour Authority Presentation: UDW BARTIME webinar 26.11-ELA Final
UDW BARTIME webinar 26.11-ELA Final	Panel: Shaping the Bargaining and Policy Agenda on Overtime Work Overtime - especially unpaid or under-declared overtime - remains widespread across Europe and is closely linked to avoiding full wage payments and social security contributions. At the same time, many workers rely on overtime for supplementary income, while employers often use it to maintain flexibility and competitiveness in globalised markets. In this context, where should policy and negotiation efforts be directed? Should the goal be to reduce overtime and prioritise compensation through time off, or should all overtime hours be accepted as part of work organisation but fully and transparently paid? Chair: Marta Kahancová, Central European Labour Studies Institute (CELSI) Speakers: Saskia Boumans, Scientific Bureau for the Dutch Trade Union Movement (de Burcht) Torsten Müller, European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) Konstantinos Koutsogiannis, European Labour Authority
11:55 - 12:00	Closing - Janna Besamusca, Universiteit Utrecht

BARTIME - Collective Bargaining and Working Time Challenges in Europe (11)

Find out more about the BARTIME project.