Senior trade union leaders from across Europe gathered in the Fórsa headquarters in Nerney’s Court in Dublin on Tuesday 16 June to launch a major new initiative aimed at strengthening the role of trade unions in peace making. 

The Trade Unions for Peace project is being led by the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), which represents more than 45 million workers across Europe. 

Over the next 18 months, the initiative will develop a practical toolkit to help trade unions contribute to peacebuilding at local, national and international level. The programme will also establish a network of senior trade unionists trained as 'Peace Ambassadors' to promote dialogue, social inclusion and conflict resolution in communities affected by crisis. 

The project draws on trade union experience in peace processes including Northern Ireland and Colombia, where unions have played an often overlooked role in mediation, dialogue and rebuilding trust between divided communities. 

Speaking at the launch, ETUC general secretary Esther Lynch said peacebuilding had always been central to the trade union movement. 

"Now and throughout history, trade unions have played a vital, but often invisible, role in conflict resolution and peacebuilding. Our core business is to build the conditions for peace, social justice, and individual and collective rights – and to challenge poverty, inequality, injustice and exclusion, which fuel conflict internationally and in our communities." 

The initiative adopts a broad definition of peace, extending beyond armed conflict to include economic justice, social inclusion, humanitarian action and the protection of democratic institutions and international law. 

As part of the programme, unions will receive resources to strengthen crisis preparedness, support humanitarian responses and contribute to long-term reconstruction following conflict. A series of events across Europe will also showcase examples of successful trade union involvement in peacebuilding. 

Esther said the growing number of international conflicts made the work increasingly urgent. 

"In the workplace, in the community, in the regions and nations, and internationally, peace is a trade union issue, and conflict resolution is a trade union responsibility. We are committed and determined to play our active and constructive part in promoting peace, democracy, justice, rights, prosperity and inclusiveness during and beyond the present crises." 

The Dublin meeting also heard contributions from UN Under-Secretary-General Guy Ryder, Palestinian Ambassador to the European Union Dr Amal Jadou Shakaa, senior adviser to the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue Teresa Whitfield, and trade union representatives with direct experience of the Northern Ireland and Colombian peace processes. 

The next European Trade Union Peace Summit is scheduled to take place in December 2026. 

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