The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) urges EU Finance Ministers and the Council meeting next week to approve the European Commission’s proposal for a €100 billion ‘SURE’ scheme to support short-term work and other measures to protect jobs and wages during the coronavirus crisis.
The ETUC calls on Member States to swiftly put at the disposal of the European Commission the necessary guarantees to make the scheme operational as soon as possible!
The ETUC welcomes the efforts put in place by the European Commission to launch ‘SURE’ and asks that clear guidelines are issued as soon as possible to recommend Member States to establish short-time work or similar schemes in every country, to ensure they cover all workers and companies, and that social partners are involved in their design and implementation.
“A scheme like SURE is urgently needed to prevent mass unemployment and a deep recession” said Luca Visentini, ETUC General Secretary. “Trade unions urge the Eurogroup and the Council to agree SURE and to make it operational immediately. More jobs are being lost every day and ambitious measures to prevent job losses and protect wages cannot wait.”
“The benefit of having the Commission raising money in the markets to finance it is that it will apply to all EU countries and does not come with counter-productive conditions of the kind that did so much damage to Greece and the other countries affected by the Troika after the last crisis.
“It is very important that all Member States establish short-time work or similar schemes with support of SURE, and that they ensure such schemes cover all workers and companies, and that social partners are involved in their design and implementation.
“Putting SURE in place should not mean that plans for a European Unemployment Reinsurance Scheme are abandoned. A permanent scheme is still needed to protect the Euro area from future crises.”
