Introduction to the Athens' Manifesto – 19th May 2011

Athènes, 19/05/2011

President, Wanja, John.

First let me thank delegates for their vote and support to the next team.

It is a great honour and a tremendous responsibility to serve the European Trade Union Confederation as its General Secretary.
Being the first woman in that position makes it even more significant.

It is a great honour and a tremendous responsibility to serve the European Trade Union Confederation as its General Secretary.

Being the first woman in that position makes it even more significant.

Your vote gives me and the whole secretariat confidence for the future.

We shall not spare our efforts for the ETUC and for all European workers.

We are now a few minutes before the end of the 12th ETUC Congress.

The Athens' manifesto sets the scene for our future work.

The manifesto concentrates on our key messages and the direction we want to take

You read it – you discussed it – you improved it and I am convinced you will vote for it.

I trust you will distribute it widely to your members.

They are those we are standing for, they are those we are caring for.

Delegates, it is time to look ahead.

It is time for the ETUC vision of Europe.
Vision and action!
ETUC values European integration.
It opened a new era.

It is time for the ETUC vision of Europe.

Vision and action!

ETUC values European integration.

It opened a new era.

Some people, some countries seem to want to return to national solutions. We don’t.

Friends, we are not on the reverse gear.

We are moving ahead.

We are for Europe, although critical. We are for an institutionally and democratically operational Europe.

Very critical when necessary.

Critical friends on the road from austerity to prosperity as John said.

Delegates, we must look at the trade union role in the Europe we are in.

Remember: we are in it. The ETUC's place is in it.

We cannot, with a magical stick, wipe it away, start afresh and make it look the way we would love it to look.

Our job is to make it work for workers! Step by step.

We must do everything in our power to make it work for women and men who gave us their trust.

Delegates, social dialogue is an important element of the social model.

This was underlined by many of you during the debates.

Unfortunately the current EU presidency, the Hungarian presidency, is taking decisions and acting against constructive dialogue.

The ETUC supports the demand of its Hungarian affiliates that the Hungarian government reinstate the institution of social dialogue.

Delegates, I would like you to show your support to our Hungarian colleagues by a round of applause.

Currently Europe has put many of its citizens on a severe diet.

Cuts in wages, cuts in public services, weakening of collective bargaining are the order of the day.

We have said,
we say and
we will say: NO to austerity.

We have said,
we say and
we will say: NO to austerity

It is unfair,
It is destructive and
It is wrong.

It is unfair to ask workers to pay for the irresponsible cheating of some governments that manipulated accounts.

It is unfair to rescue the banks with billions and force workers to pick up the bill.

It is destructive: it challenges the basis of our social model, made of social protection, public services, social dialogue, and collective bargaining.

It is wrong: it does not work. Look at Greece! Did the cuts work in this county?
NO.

Our position is clear! Wages are not the enemy of growth but their engine.

Delegates, congress!

Workers can move and work wherever they want in the Europe.
We welcome it.

But there is one condition: there must be fair rules, fair conditions, all workers must be dealt with equally.

The national conditions, the local or company collective bargaining protection must be upheld, for all.

Fundamental social rights must get a priority over economic freedoms.

The European Trade Union Confederation will never give up on this principle.

Delegates, an historically significant economic governance programme is soon to be adopted and put into practice.

The EU agenda concerning economic governance is pressing.

Decisions will be taken in the next days or weeks.

I propose to congress to leave this room with the Athens’ manifesto, and also with a pressing immediate message and course for action.

I'd like to read this message to you:

"The 12th ETUC Congress unanimously condemns the type of economic governance that the EU wants to impose.

Congress mandates the secretariat to carry the ETUC manifesto and more particularly its urgent message on economic governance to key policy makers, in particular the Council, the Parliament and the Commission to the so-called triologue currently preparing decision.

The ETUC demands that progress made during the vote of the economic Committee in the European Parliament be preserved, with a particular emphasis on the autonomy of social partners.

The ETUC demands that sustainable investments should be protected from rigid economic governance rules and blind austerity measures.

The ETUC insists that European economic governance includes harmonisation of the corporate tax base, with a minimum tax rate for companies.

The ETUC stands ready to organise a European and national action day to obtain satisfaction on these key immediate demands."

This is the message that I would like Congress to approve as an immediate action to implement the manifesto.

We already have proposals from affiliates for an action day and there is more to come.

Delegates, I would like to underline one specific element of this economic governance programme.

In the economic governance programme national Unit labour costs will be compared at European level.

When unit labour costs are openly compared at European level,

Sure this is a matter for us, collectively.

Sure this is a matter for the European trade union confederation, and not only for us as individual trade unions.

At the end of this congress, this is our question.

Our common question.

We will have to consider what this means for us, and how best we can handle this together.

Indeed, we must handle it together!

Delegates, my role as ETUC General Secretary is to push for common European trade union solutions.

Delegates, my role as ETUC General Secretary is to push for common European trade union solutions.

I might, at times, pull you out of your national comfort zone.

Don't be surprised, don’t be annoyed.

You have not elected me as General Secretary to leave you alone.

You have elected me to move the ETUC further,

To strenghten its marks within the institutions, within the social dialogue.

Delegates, the ETUC has made its marks and must make this mark felt even more deeply in the European union, but even with the best team in the world, even with the best personnel in the world,

The ETUC secretariat would be lame and inefficient if you were not with us.

We have to do it together.

I shall pull and I shall push,

I shall be in the driver's seat, but

You are the engine of this great organisation.

The European Trade Union Confederation is you.

President, delegates,
I call for your support and
I move the adoption of the Athens’ manifesto.

25.05.2011
Discours