The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) supports the Greek General Confederation of Labour in its call today for the withdrawal of the referendum.
In a GSEE Plenary convened today, Wednesday 1 July 2015, the Greek union states
“GSEE believes that holding of a referendum is a democratic, constitutional and inalienable right of Greek citizens within the context of European traditions.
The EU should think hard and long before pushing Greece out of the Eurozone warned ETUC General Secretary Bernadette Ségol.
“Decisions by the ECB and Eurogroup Finance Ministers are pushing Greece towards the exit” said Bernadette Ségol. “Everyone should stop and think of the potentially disastrous consequences.”
“Grexit is hugely risky for the Euro, for the EU economy and for Greece. The EU would be taking a big gamble on markets keeping faith in the Euro if it waved goodbye to Greece.”
The Danish Labour Court yesterday upheld the right of Danish trade union LO to take industrial action to obtain a collective agreement for Ryanair staff employed in Denmark.
"We are very pleased with the ruling of the Labour Court. Now it's up to Ryanair. I hope we will succeed in concluding a collective agreement", said LO-Vice President, Lizette Risgaard.
LO hopes that Ryanair comes back to the negotiating table instead of triggering an industrial dispute.
The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) slammed EU Governments for the withdrawal today, by the European Commission, of the proposal to improve maternity leave.
ETUC General Secretary Bernadette Ségol said “EU Governments have let down women and their families by their frankly embarrassing failure over seven years to improve maternity leave.”
The ETUC welcomed the adoption today of President Juncker’s €315 billion European investment plan by EU prime Ministers.
This follows its adoption by the European Parliament on Wednesday.
“Investment in growth and jobs has been the key demand of the ETUC since the crisis” said Bernadette Ségol, General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC). “This €315billion plan may not be large enough, and may not raise the amount of money it claims, but it is still sends an important signal.”
Commenting on EU leaders finally adopting a plan to deal with the humanitarian emergency in the Mediterranean Sea, Luca Visentini, ETUC Confederal Secretary said “It’s disappointing to see how difficult it was to taken even this small step forward.”
“Progress is painfully slow and there is still a need for investment in reception infrastructures, and in schemes to integrate refugees into the labour market.”
ETUC General Secretary Bernadette Ségol made an impassioned plea for fair freedom of movement for workers at the Round Table on Social Mobility convened by Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven.
She made the case for equal pay and conditions for equal work, and urged the PMs to stop the downward pressure on wages caused by employers exploiting workers who have taken up freedom of movement.
Today, the European Youth Forum and the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), during their joint conference on youth employment at the European Economic and Social Committee, called for good quality jobs for young people.
Commenting on the 5 Presidents’ report on “Completing Europe’s Monetary and Economic Union”, Bernadette Ségol, General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation said
“There is no way trade unions would accept a body separate from the social partners giving advice on wage negotiations. This would be a recipe for major conflict. Wage setting is the role of autonomous social partners”.
The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) welcomes today’s adoption by EU leaders of the Riga conclusions, a new set of priorities to improve Vocational Education and Training (VET) for the period 2015-2020.
Luca Visentini, ETUC Confederal Secretary, speaking at the meeting of ministers in charge of Vocational Education and Training in Riga, said:
“The European Trade Union movement is shocked by the proposal to put up a wall between Hungary and Serbia” said Bernadette Ségol, Secretary General of the European Trade Union Confederation. “After playing such a prominent role in the fall of the iron curtain it is hard to believe that just over 25 years later Hungary would want to build a new iron curtain.”
European trade unions today launched strong criticisms of the European Commission’s ‘better regulation’ plans – accusing the EU executive of putting “the supposed needs of business above all others”.
A declaration adopted today by national trade union leaders at a meeting of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), says “legislation should have a societal benefit” and “the needs of businesses do not come above those of workers or, for example, the environment.”
Commenting on employment figures from Eurostat showing an increase of 0.1% in the Euro area in the first quarter of 2015 compared to the previous quarter (and 0.8% compared to the same quarter of 2014) and 0.3% in the EU as a whole (1.1% compared to the 1st quarter of 2014), Bernadette Ségol, General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation, said “Jobs are increasing in Europe very slowly and modestly. Employment remains well below 2007 levels. What concerns me is that jobs are picking up faster outside the EU, and that up to half the new jobs are precarious.
The ETUC is dismayed that today’s Justice and Home Affairs Council will not approve the measures proposed by the European Commission to address the humanitarian crisis in the Mediterranean.
In view of the concern expressed by national governments at the emergency Council meeting only a few weeks ago, when the crisis was prominent in the media, it is worrying that the proposals put forward by the European Commission in the EU Agenda on Migration are now being pushed back.
On 10th and 11th June will take place the EU-CELAC Summit, bringing together European, Latin American and Caribbean leaders to strengthen relations between both regions.
With the European Parliament set to vote tomorrow on the controversial ‘Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership’, the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) – which calls for a ‘an EU-US trade deal that works for the people’ – sets out four big questions on what the MEPs will decide.
ISDS – Will the Parliament demand no ISDS, or a reformed ISDS?
The Parliament’s draft report supports Commissioner Malmström attempts to ‘reform’ ISDS, but amendments to scrap ISDS will be tabled in the Plenary vote.
EU national Governments have a duty to deal collectively and responsibly with the humanitarian crisis in the Mediterranean – not only of people drowning at sea, but many thousands of desperate men, women and children taking any risk to reach refuge in the EU from poverty and conflict in African and the Middle East – said the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC).
“The EU faces a humanitarian crisis of unknown dimensions” said Bernadette Ségol, General Secretary of the ETUC. “The EU’s response must be decisive and humanitarian.”
Last night the car of the General Secretary of the Confederation of Trade unions of Montenegro (CTUM), Marko Nikcevic, was destroyed by a car bomb.
Mr Nikcevic has been in office since November 2013 and has started a far-reaching reform of the union, including external audits. Massive financial abuse has been discovered and reported to the Prosecutor for Organised Crime. In later March 2015 opponents of the CTUM leadership organized a putsch supported by the Ministry of Labour to oust Mr Nikcevic from office.
Commenting recent developments in creditors talks on Greece, Bernadette Ségol, General Secretary of the European trade Union Confederation (ETUC) said:
“Greece has suffered enough. The EU and the IMF should not impose further pain on Greek pensioners and workers. It is beginning to look like punishment for voting for an anti-austerity government.”
“There needs to be a sensible compromise. Grinding the face of the Greek people into the dirt is not the way forward.”
The ETUC and RENGO – the European and Japanese Trade Union Confederations - believe that the strategic partnership and free trade agreements being negotiated by Japan and the EU, could stimulate growth and create jobs in the EU and Japan.
The trade union confederations are united in demanding that any partnership and/or trade agreement
Commenting on the ‘better regulation’ proposals published today, Bernadette Ségol, General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) said
“I am in favour of efforts to improve legislation, but these proposals will make the legislative procedure longer, costlier and more bureaucratic.”
“I do not think the European Commission will get away with restricting the right of democratically elected politicians to change legislative proposals in the name of ‘better regulation’.”
The European Commission’s Country Specific Recommendations for 2015, published today, show greater flexibility on budget deficits but is holding back growth by ignoring the need to increase wages, warned the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC).
