Responding to the European Commission’s emergency measures on Coronavirus, ETUC General Secretary Luca Visentini said:
“People who are ill, caring for family or unable to work because of coronavirus should not suffer financially, so trade unions welcome the European Commission’s commitment to protecting workers from unemployment and loss of income.
“The Commission must ensure that financial support reaches all workers, including the self-employed and those with precarious jobs who are most vulnerable.
“The Commission’s plans to loosen its fiscal and state aid rules are essential to supporting public services being stretched to the limit and companies hit by the crisis. These measures must be adopted without delay by finance ministers meeting next week and then implemented in full by member states.”
“EU funds invested in protecting workers and companies from the worst effects of the crisis should be additional to member states’ spending.”
