Thursday 14 May 2020, 14h-15h Brussels time

Living wage or basic income: which way to go to alleviate the economic consequences of the Covid crisis?

The COVID crisis is having an unexpected and unprecedented impact on millions of people and even if most countries are slowly putting in place exit strategies, it is clear that the way we live and work will not jump back to normal any time soon. The realities and challenges for the world of work from before this health and economic crisis have not disappeared, on the contrary - many of them have passed to a different level or have been suddenly put in another perspective by the deteriorated economic situation. In a series of webinars we would like to look, together with our guests, at what needs to be done in the long run so that the world of work gets better equipped to deal with such distortions which are very likely to happen again.

This webinar will look at the potential of a “living wage” to enable workers and their families to enjoy a decent standard of living in the aftermath of the COVID crisis. Alternatively, for many years the idea of an unconditional basic income has been put forward, and in the current context, it has been brought again to the attention by its advocates as a way to limit the rise of poverty and precarity in a worsening economic context. With our speakers, we will explore the different ideas and try to find out what will really make a difference and for whom, in the post-covid era.

Speakers: Torsten Müller, Senior Researcher ETUI and Anke Hassel, Professor of Public Policy at the Hertie School

Comments: Esther Lynch, ETUC Deputy General Secretary

Host: Mariya Nikolova, Communication Officer, ETUI

Register in advance for this webinar here. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

The ETUI is financially supported by the European Union. ETUI, aisbl 2020