Brussels, 03/12/2013
The Executive Committee of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) today considered worrying developments in Ukraine and condemned the violent repression of demonstrators in Kiev.
They expressed regret that the conditions were not right for the partnership agreement with the EU to be concluded in Vilnius on 29 November 2013.
Brussels, 23/10/2013
The current multi-faceted crisis exploded five years ago essentially in the financial sector; it triggered an economic and then a sovereign debt crisis.
To combat this crisis EU leaders have adopted and implemented policies through brutal austerity measures and internal devaluation.
This exacerbated the crisis, destroyed functioning economic structures, reduced consumption, increased inequalities and poverty, attacked wage levels, dramatically raised unemployment, jeopardised social cohesion and the support to the EU project.
Brussels, 23/04/2013
Key messages;
• The key concern is that the EU needs real social investment. Social benefits bring value to individuals and to society and therefore it is justified to dedicate adequate budget resources to deliver social benefits and services to the people who are in need and entitled to social rights. Europe needs a real investment package to promote growth, employment and ensure economic and social cohesion. The ETUC has called for an additional investment equivalent to 1-2% of European GDP.
Brussels, 05/03/2013
ETUC Declaration
The ETUC considers that the proposal to discuss a social dimension of the EMU is too restrictive. Our commitment to the process of European integration depends on the fact that Europe is not a free trade zone, but an area whose objectives are economic and social progress. Therefore a discussion on the social dimension of the EMU is only acceptable if it triggers social progress in the whole of the European Union.
Brussels, 05/03/2013
The ETUC considers that the proposal to discuss a social dimension of the EMU is too restrictive. Our commitment to the process of European integration depends on the fact that Europe is not a free trade zone, but an area whose objectives are economic and social progress. Therefore a discussion on the social dimension of the EMU is only acceptable if it triggers social progress in the whole of the European Union.
Brussels, 17/10/2012
1. The ETUC Executive Committee meeting on 17 October 2012 call for a day of action and solidarity on 14 November 2012, including strikes, demonstrations, rallies and other actions, mobilising the European trade union Movement behind ETUC policies as set down in the Social Compact for Europe.
Brussels, 19/04/2012
The Commission package on the posting of workers adopted on 21 March 2012 does not strike the right balance between protecting workers and facilitating cross-border service provision. The ETUC rejects the proposal for a Monti II Regulation and calls on the Commission to revise the Posting of Workers Directive.
Brussels, 06-07/03/2012
Introduction
The EU has made significant progress over the last 50 years in promoting greater equality between women and men in society and in the labour market. Since its foundation EU equal treatment legislation has contributed and will contribute to equal participation of women and men in Europe’s economy and society.
With the new mandate for the period 2010-2014 the Commission adopted different EU instruments to deal with gender equality:
Brussels, 07/03/2012
The ETUC Executive Committee meeting on 7 March 2012, expresses its full solidarity with the working people of Greece who are gravely and irreversibly affected by losses of jobs and income that erodes their ability to address the negative impact of the crisis.
Brussels, 19-20/10/2011
An extremely dangerous situation
The economic situation of the Eurozone has gone from bad to worse during the last period; it reached extremely dangerous levels during the last weeks and days.
At the same time, the social situation is deteriorating dramatically: inequalities and poverty are rising; unemployment, particularly youth unemployment, has reached intolerable levels, over 20% in most countries and over 40% in Spain and Greece.
Brussels, 01-02/12/2009
1. The Lisbon Strategy was supposed to enable poverty to be eradicated in Europe by 2010: what is the latest?
One of the objectives of the Lisbon Strategy was the eradication of poverty in Europe by 2010. What is the situation now?
1.1 Poverty and social exclusion: an evil entrenched in European society
Brussels, 20-21/10/2009
Introduction
Weeks before the negotiations in Copenhagen on an international framework on the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions, we find ourselves confronted by three mutually-impacting crises: the ecological crisis as a result of climate change and the loss of biodiversity, the global economic crisis and price instability in raw materials and food. From a trade union perspective, this situation presents itself as one of the largest and most difficult challenges of recent decades.
Brussels, 08/07/2009
The European trade Union confederation (ETUC) Executive Committee agrees that there should be a period of reflection before any future revision of the directive.
However, concerning the current directive, the ETUC Executive Committee strongly calls for action to be taken to ensure that the Directive is being properly and fully implemented.
Specifically, the ETUC calls on the European Commission to initiate infringement proceedings against Member States who are significantly failing to implement the working time directive.
Brussels, 14-15 March 2006
1.1 According to ETUC, bolstering social cohesion and devising 'content' for the European Social Model, which consists mainly of high-quality, high-level social protection systems and a resolute battle against social exclusion, are European ambitions that need to be implemented by the Member States in connection with the streamlined open method of coordination. These ambitions will be reaffirmed at the forthcoming Spring Summit.
Brussels, 17/03/2005
This ETUC note is to provide:
• correct information on what is really happening in some countries concerning longer working hours. The main conclusion to this is: ‘not much’. Aside from some isolated companies, there is no general tendency to switch to longer hours. And in those companies where longer working hours do get introduced, employers have to grant important tough concessions (for example: job guarantees);
