Brussels, 23/09/2009

Brussels, 21/09/2009 By scrapping the full association agreement with the Andean Community, the European Union flies in the face of the strategy launched with the Rio Summit in 1999 (and which it reiterated at subsequent summits) in support of the development of political associations that strengthen integration and social cohesion processes in Latin America.

Brussels, 16/09/2009

Brussels, 16/09/2009 Despite the massive support of governments to the banks, (three trillions of euros in capital and bank guarantees, massive liquidity at almost zero interest rate), credit for productive investment remains squeezed whereas, at the same time, speculative behaviour are reappearing again together with overblown bank profits and bonuses for the bankers and their traders.

Pittsburgh, 14/09/2009 Sisters and brothers, retirement dinners can be strange affairs. When I left the British TUC to go to the European TUC, we had a splendid dinner, like this, in London. By the way, a guest of honour was Sir Alex Ferguson, manager of Manchester United. That won’t mean much to you Americans, but to anyone who follows the real football – just the rest of the world – it means a lot. That night, I listened to many kind words, exaggerated tributes, recitations of claimed victories, gentle irony on things which went less well.

Brussels, 11/09/2009 {"It is far from clear if this is a step in the right direction. There is still a lack of any precise idea about what form a strengthening of the Posted Workers Directive would take. Is the President of the Commission recognising the case for equal pay, for equal work for Posted Workers? It is disappointing that he has not made any move on the ETUC proposal for a Social Progress Protocol. These points must be pursued and clarified in the Parliament, and the ETUC will be taking them up with the President." }

Brussels, 04/09/2009 He drew attention in particular to the involvement of the International Monetary Fund that sent a delegation to the country this week, and supported a joint request of the two Serbian unions for full consultation with them about the steps being proposed to resolve the economic crisis in Serbia. He said: “The measures under consideration will impose harsh conditions on many in Serbia and it is important that the union voice is adequately heard, not least their demand that the broadest shoulders bear the heaviest burdens.”

Brussels, 03/09/2009 “Now we need a New EU Social Deal comprising - more investment in an expanded European recovery plan. The Commission’s own proposals were a useful, modest step but the key is to co-ordinate a bigger programme and not focus, prematurely, on strategies to exit from the recession. We are not at the bottom yet and we may not be near it.

Brussels, 14/08/2009 Commenting on the figures released yesterday on the two countries’ growth rates, John Monks, General Secretary of the ETUC said {“Welcome though these figures are, it would be a profound mistake to take them as a light illuminating the end of the recession.

Chianciano, 15-17/07/2009 It is always a pleasure to visit the CGIL and the beautiful region of Tuscany – the CGIL’s equivalent of the Costa Smeralda. Only a bit more dignified, I hope.

Tralee, 8-9/07/2009 President, delegates, fellow guests, thank you for the invitation to address your biennial congress once again. Two years ago, in Bundoran, I remember praising David Begg’s thoughtful introduction to the report of your Executive Council and in particular his warnings about casino capitalism. Well, a lot has happened over the last two years, and no one can say that the unions at least didn’t ring the alarm bells.

Brussels, 10/07/2009 Mr Monks will say “(…) the ETUC supports ratification of the Lisbon Treaty and I hope the Irish people approve it. (….) it is a step forward compared to existing provisions, for example in relation to the legal enforcement of the Charter of Fundamental Rights, commitments to full employment, the social market economy, and public services.”

Brussels, 08/07/2009 Yet against this desperate situation, much of the talk of policy makers is to about how to cut back public spending and plan exit strategies from the present growing levels of public debt. To follow these would make a grave situation much worse, and the need is for Governments to hold their nerve and keep priming the economy. Premature exit strategies would kill the prospects of recovery as they did in the USA in 1937 and Japan in 1997.

Brussels, 08/07/2009

Brussels, 07/07/2009 The ETUC regrets that the social dimension of Europe does not seem to be amongst the priorities of the Swedish Presidency. John Monks, ETUC General Secretary, declared: ‘In our view, the European Union should be sending a clear signal of understanding and action regarding the most pressing concerns of European workers in a moment of rising unemployment’.

Brussels, 07/07/2009 The European trade unions, meeting on 8 July within the ETUC Executive Committee, will discuss current short- and medium-term economic and social issues, namely the economic crisis, the employment situation and the need for regulation of the financial markets. The meeting will also look at the Lisbon Treaty and the demand by the European trade unions to append a social progress protocol to the European treaties, as well as addressing climate change with a view to the forthcoming Copenhagen Summit.

Vienna, 01/07/2009 President, delegates, fellow guests. It is always a pleasure to visit the ÖGB and Vienna and I bring the greetings of the ETUC to the trade unionists of Austria. The ÖGB had an early taste of the damage that can be done by speculation in the world of financial services. Indeed it can be said that you were in the avant-garde of what, later, became a mass movement. We now know that it was not just one bank that was in trouble but that the problems were systemic.

Brussels, 24/06/2009 The report, entitled ‘Green shoots….of casino capitalism’, sounds the alarm that financial markets are once again starting to speculate on a new commodity bubble, thereby driving oil and commodity prices upwards and the economy downwards. With the European Central Bank (ECB) expected to provide tomorrow hundreds of billions of euros to European banks on a one year loan, ETUC calls on the ECB and other central banks to put into place the necessary instruments to ensure banks use liquidity for productive investment and not for speculation.

Brussels, 19/06/2009

Brussels, 19/06/2009 ETUC calls on all Member States to ensure that any human beings fleeing armed conflict and political violence, or in fear of persecution because of, for instance, their political convictions, ethnic or religious origin, or their gender or sexual orientation, should receive appropriate protection.

Brussels, 18/06/2009 This is a milestone in the 25-year history of the European Social Dialogue as it is the first time that European social partners have agreed on the revision of a pre-existing Framework Agreement. It is their 7th Framework agreement since the original Parental Leave agreement was concluded in 1995, later transposed into a EU Directive in 1996.

Brussels, 17/06/2009 ETUC shares the sense of urgency expressed in this Declaration and has written to European leaders urging them to act boldly in favour of a Social Europe.

Brussels, 16/06/2009

Brussels, 10/06/2009 At the closing conference in Brussels today, ETUC and UEAPME presented an expert report (available in English only) containing a detailed analysis of the four topics that were singled out for discussion during the project: