ETUC position on the European Commission’s Anti Tax Avoidance Package
Adopted at the Extraordinary Executive Committee on 13 April 2016.
Letter for the attention of Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission
Brussels, 5 April, 2016
Commission proposal on disclosure of income tax information by certain multinational corporations
Dear President Juncker,
Brussels, 19 April 2016
JOINT STATEMENT FROM ETUC AND CLC
The CETA: where we are at and what needs to be changed
When Canada and Europe set out to negotiate a free trade agreement a few years ago, there were high hopes that this exercise might lead to a new “gold standard” in this area: an agreement that would show it is possible to deepen trade links while maintaining and increasing social, labour and environmental standards.
Brussels 18, 2016
To Excutive Committee Members
For Information to ETUC Members Orgaisaitons
New Skills Agenda”: Improving training opportunities for workers in Europe (ETUC position)
Adopted at the Meeting of the executive committee on the 13th April 2016
Brussels, 15 April 2016
ETUC position paperOrientation for a new EU framework on information, consultation and board-level representation rights (Part I)
Adopted at the extraordinary ETUC Executive Committee on 13 April 2016 in The Hague
Background
Dear President,
At the end of January, we sent a letter to Vice-President Dombrovskis and Commissioner Thyssen to ask for a social partner consultation regarding the proposed targeted revision of the posting of workers directive.
Brussels, 19 January 2016
ETUC letter of support to Philippe Martinez, General Secretary of CGT French Union
Dear Philippe,
The ETUC is gravely concerned about the sentences handed down by the court of Amiens on 12 January for the eight former Goodyear workers. 24 months in prison, of which 9 months are mandatory, is unprecedented. It severely punishes workers who fought for nearly 7 years to save their jobs on their territory.
The COP 21 has delivered a universal agreement which will frame the long term action on climate change. The ETUC welcomes that agreement which concludes a long and complex negotiation process. Giving to the world a global instrument to tackle climate change is a major political breakthrough even though, as stressed below, this agreement is in many respects not as ambitious as we would have wished.
China has been a member of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) since 2001 but it is not recognised as a market economy by any of its major trading partners, including the EU and the US. China's WTO Accession Protocol allowed WTO members not to grant “Market Economy Status” (MES) to China for a period up to 11 December 2016.
Not applying MES to China allows the EU to use alternative methods for calculating dumping margins (that apply to Non-Market Economies, NMEs, often based on the higher prices applying in third countries).
ETUC Economic Policy Committee
Statement to the Macroeconomic dialogue at technical level
Brussels, 19 January 2016
The ETUC Economic Policy Committee met in Brussels on 19 January 2016 in order to prepare the Macroeconomic dialogue technical meeting.
ETUC position on single market strategy for Europe
Adopted at the ETUC Executive Committee on 16-17 December 2015
Key points
The conflict between the exercise of fundamental rights and economic freedoms and the development of unfair competition in the single market can no longer be ignored. The ETUC recalls the importance of quality jobs, the principle of equal treatment between all workers at the same workplace and urges the EU institutions to adopt a social progress protocol.
ETUC assessment of the European Commission Work Programme 2016
ETUC position adopted at the ETUC Executive Commitee on the 16-17 December 2015
Introduction
This paper provides an ETUC assessment of the European Commission’s (EC) Work Programme 2016 (WP) No Time for Business as Usual.
Key Issues
Good work-life balance has a positive impact on the well-being of workers. It can also contribute to achieving major EU policy goals: stimulating employment (especially among women and older workers) and growth; promoting children and youth development; and eventually achieving gender equality.
Completing Economic and Monetary Union: Rebalancing European Economic Governance (ETUC position)
Adopted at the ETUC Executive Committee on 16-17 December 2015
Introduction
The Commission Communication of 21 October describes the initiatives the Commission will undertake in stage 1 of the process to deepen EMU. In this stage, the Commission will intensify the use of policy instruments and levers that already exist within the current Treaties in order to improve the functioning of EMU.
Statement from the ETUC Mobility, Migration and Inclusion Committee
Stop discriminating against refugees on grounds of nationality!
The ETUC has received information from informal and informal sources around the so-called ‘Balkan route’ of entry to the EU that since 19 November 2015, the states of FYROM Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia have been allowing only Syrians, Iraqis and Afghanis to enter their countries.
We, the European trade union movement, stand in solidarity with the people of France, and the French trade unions following the murderous attacks on innocent people in Paris.
We, trade unions throughout Europe, condemn without reservation these barbaric murders. There can be no justification for the deliberate, cold-blooded taking of people’s lives, for causing injury and trauma, for bringing grief to the family and friends of the victims.
We commend the bravery of the police, security and emergency services, and ordinary citizens, during and after the attacks.
The ITUC and the ETUC wish to offer a contribution to the Valletta Summit through this joint statement. This contribution complements and integrates positions that the ITUC and ETUC have repeatedly issued for a rights-based approach to migration and asylum in Europe and worldwide.
ETUC position on the Annual Growth Survey 2016 - for a Europe that works for workers and citizens
Adopted at the ETUC Executive meeting on 28-29 October 2015
Introduction
ETUC position on National Competitiveness Boards
Adopted at the ETUC Executive Committee on 28-29 October 2015
Introduction
On 21 October the Commission adopted a Recommendation for a Council Recommendation requiring euro area member states to establish national Competitiveness Boards. At the level of each (euro area) member state, these boards aim to:
a) monitor competitiveness developments relative to global competitors (including labour costs).
Endorsed by the Executive Committee at its meeting on 17-18 June 2015
In its Communication “A digital single market strategy for Europe” (6 May 2015) the Commission adopts the traditional internal market approach.
Position adopted by the Executive Committee of 17-18 June 2015
In December 2015, countries will meet in Paris under the UN auspices to seal a new global agreement to fight climate change. Ahead of this crucial summit, the ETUC reiterates its key demands to Parties, and specifically to the EU which must continue to play a leading role in the negotiations.
ETUC declaration on 'Better Regulation'
Adopted at the ETUC Executive Committee on 17-18 June 2015
The ‘Better Regulation’ package[1] published the 19/05/2015 by the European Commission is supposed to ensure better, simpler, less burdensome EU regulation.
In its meeting in March 2015, the ETUC Executive Committee affiliated the two representative confederations from Montenegro, CTUM and UFTUM.
CTUM was affiliated because the new leadership, elected at their congress in November 2013, engaged in a serious and complex reform process. This process clearly disturbs those forces who want to keep CTUM under full control. The same are responsible for enormous financial abuses that ruin the trade union’s reputation.
