BRUSSELS (AP) — Thousands of trade union members protested outside European Union headquarters to demand better working conditions and protections for employees after next month's EU-wide elections.

Union delegates from across many of the bloc's 28 nations gathered for the peaceful march in Brussels on Friday. They say current EU rules favor businesses and employers too much, leaving workers with little incentive to support a united Europe.

Luca Visentini, general secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation, says the "only way to save Europe and to save democracy is to make sure that workers can really benefit from rights, from growth, from jobs and from better wages."

Police estimated 4,600 people demonstrated, while unions put the number at around 8,000.