EU bishops back Pillar of Social Rights, call for recognition of Sunday rest

November 23, 2016

The Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Community (COMECE) have renewed their support of the European Pillar of Social Rights, an EU document on labor, education, and other social issues.

In recent comments on the draft document, COMECE called for a recognition of Sunday rest.

“As in times of digitalization of the economy, the boundaries between private and work-life become increasingly blurred, COMECE proposes to incorporate decent working hours and the right to a common weekly day of rest,” the bishops’ commission stated. “This day should be in principal the Sunday, which is recognized by tradition and custom in most of the member states or regions.”

The bishops added:

The economic and financial crisis has shaken the firm belief of Europe growing together. It has showed that without cooperation and dialogue at EU and global level, the nation state alone is no longer able to address the pressing social and economic challenges of our societies. In a globalized economy, COMECE therefore hopes that the European Pillar of Social Rights will renew social convergence in Europe and contribute to the creation of a culture that “drives globalization towards the humanizing goal of solidarity.

 

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Further information:

• COMECE contribution to a European Pillar of Social Rights (COMECE)
• Full text (COMECE)
• Towards a European Pillar of Social Rights (EU)
• Bishops’ commission welcomes forthcoming EU document on social rights (CWN, 3/16)