BRUSSELS (AP) \u2014 The majority of low-income families in the European Union can\u2019t afford a summer holiday, according to a study by the the European Trade Union Confederation .<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The organization, which represents 45 million members in 38 European countries, said many low-paid workers are among 35 million of EU citizens who don\u2019t have enough money for a break. The union used data from Eurostat, the EU\u2019s statistical office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA holiday should not be a luxury for the few. While many workers are away enjoying time off with friends and family, millions are missing out because of low pay,\u201d the confederation\u2019s deputy general secretary Esther Lynch said. \u201cThe rise in holiday inequality shows how the benefits of economic growth in Europe over the last decade haven\u2019t been shared fairly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the study, 28% of those aged 16 or over living in the bloc of 450 million people don\u2019t have the means to enjoy a one-week holiday away from home. The study stressed that this rose to 59.5% for people whose income falls below Eurostat\u2019s at-risk-of-poverty threshold, which is set at 60% of national median income.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The worst situation is in Greece, where 88.9% of people living at risk of poverty can\u2019t afford a holiday, followed by Romania (86.8%), Croatia (84.7%), Cyprus (79.2%) and Slovakia (76.1%).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
ETUC said many people in the poverty group are unemployed or retired, but it also includes millions of low paid workers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cStatutory minimum wages leave workers at risk of poverty in at least 16 EU member states and, according to the European Commission, 22 million workers make less than 60% of the median,\u201d the union said, adding that holiday inequality grew in 16 EU countries over the past 10 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The biggest divides in access to holidays between those with income below 60% of median and those with income above that threshold are in Croatia, Greece ,Bulgaria, Czech Republic, France and Romania, it said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
ETUC said it is working with European legislators to introduce a \u201cthreshold of decency\u201d into EU law that would ensure statutory minimum wages could never be less than 60% of the median wage and 50% of the average wage of any EU nation. The union said the move would help deliver a pay rise to over 24 million people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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