Free movement of workers

Commenting on the outcome of the Valletta informal Summit, ETUC General Secretary Luca Visentini said  “The EU has decided to pay Libya, with a Government that controls only  a part of the country, to keep refugees and migrants out of Europe. To make matters worse they are paying for this out of development funds. It would be like Trump getting Mexico to pay for the border wall, except the EU has come up with a way to do it.”

Commenting on today’s EU Valletta Summit, ETUC General Secretary Luca Visentini said:

Excluding undocumented workers from contributing to and benefitting from education and other public services costs EU citizens far more than including them, says a brochure published for the International Migrants Day (December 18) by the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) and Union MigrantNet. Estimates for the number of undocumented migrants in the EU range from under 2 million to almost 4 million. It is unknown how many are in undeclared work. What is clear is that undocumented workers are

The ETUC urged EU Heads of Governments to break out of their cycle of failure after yet another Summit in which practically nothing was agreed, and what was agreed should not have been according to the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC).     

On International Migrants Day, the ETUC wishes to express its solidarity and support for undocumented migrants. Too often, sans papiers suffer the humiliating and degrading experience of being excluded from society, on top of inhumane working conditions. 

Brussels 07 November 2016  This is just to remind you the revision of the posting of workers directive which will take place tomorrow from 12.00 – 13.00 Dear Member of the European Parliament, With the support of the EPP group and the S&D group in the European Parliament, the ETUC, Solidarnosc and OPZZ cordially invite you to a briefing on:    REVISION OF THE POSTING OF WORKERS DIRECTIVE – HEAR THE EXPERIENCE OF POSTED WORKERS 8/11/2016 – from 12:00 to 13:00

Luca Visentini, General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation today met Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission. Key political issues discussed included Brexit, Turkey and the future of Europe. After the constructive meeting Luca Visentini said:

The European Commission has today made the right decision to reject the yellow card procedure triggered by 11 Member States, and go ahead with the long-awaited revision of the Posting of Workers Directive. The European Trade Union Confederation, together with all affiliated trade unions – including those in the countries which launched the yellow card – strongly support this revision. The ETUC believes these 11 governments were acting against the interests of their own workers in trying to block the principle of equal pay for equal work.

Trade union leaders, meeting today in London to discuss the next steps for the EU and the UK after the Brexit referendum, agreed   

 The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) is urging the European Commission to  ·         Make the EU-Canada trade agreement (CETA) subject to member state Parliaments; ·         Press ahead with the revision of the Posted Workers Directive.

Last week the ETUC issued a short statement ‘European Summit - What trade unions expect’ https://www.etuc.org/press/european-summit-what-trade-unions-expect#.V3PLrPl97cs But what did the Summit actually deliver for workers?   What we asked for What we got Comment of ETUC General Secretary Luca Visentini

UK referendum The ETUC calls for Brexit vote to be a wake-up call to the EU to offer workers a better deal. Specifically, the ETUC calls for decisive action to  ensure this is not the start of the break-up of the European Union, and does not damage jobs and workers’ rights. tackle working people’s deep discontent in the EU by creating a fairer and more equal society, investing in quality jobs, good public services and real opportunities for young people. Migration The ETUC calls for

ETUC mid-term strategy on migration, asylum and inclusion Adopted at the meeting of the Executive Committee on 8-9 June 2016 Summary The EU is the destination for 2 million long-term migrants a year. But inflows are more heterogeneous than in the past and migration and asylum policies should be more integrated to adapt to a new reality.

The European Trade Union Confederation has written to the European Commission demanding that it •           rejects the arguments against the revision of the posting of workers directive in the ‘yellow card’ from some Member States;  •           allows a democratic debate without delay on the existing proposal through the normal EU legislative procedure with governments and the European Parliament.

The European Commission today issued a package of proposals to reform the Dublin system: Towards a sustainable and fair Common European Asylum System.    The European Trade Union Confederation deeply regrets the lack of ambition and solidarity in these proposals.   Said Luca Visentini, General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation:

09 May 2016 Update : please find enclosed the ETUC Revision of the Posting of Workers Directive Attached the draft program and documents for the meeting  please note that the Governing Body of the Union Migrant Net will take place on 9 May from 14:00 to 18:00 in the ITUH building (6th floor). Make sure you register by sending a mail to [email protected]   INVITATION

“A hypocritical attempt to circumvent international obligations” is how Luca Visentini, General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation, described the proposed EU deal with Turkey. “The ETUC is appalled by the lack of European unity and humanity in dealing with refugees seeking shelter from war, and is working with employers to support the integration of refugees and migrants into the labour market.

Today the European Commission proposed a revision of the Posted Workers Directive that delivers equal pay for many, but not all, posted workers. The proposed wording on remuneration has been improved from earlier drafts. However, the proposed restrictive definition of the type of collective agreement recognised is not satisfactory: excluding most sectoral collective agreements in some countries (including Germany and Italy), and all company-level agreements.

The European Trade Union Confederation is strongly critical of the lack of progress in negotiations with Turkey on a Joint Action Plan on Refugees, and the lack of humanity shown in the Council Statement following last night’s summit.   “The EU should not even contemplate paying Turkey to keep refugees in inhumane camps without any prospects”, said Luca Visentini, General Secretary of the ETUC “and there should be no trade-off between keeping refugees out of Europe and accelerated EU membership talks.”

Dear President, At the end of January, we sent a letter to Vice-President Dombrovskis and Commissioner Thyssen to ask for a social partner consultation regarding the proposed targeted revision of the posting of workers directive.

A revision of the Posted Workers Directive is due to published by the European Commission on Tuesday 8 March without any prior consultation with the social partners – employers and  trade unions. A revision would be welcome given the fact that the principle of equal pay has been undermined by a series of European court cases including the notorious Laval and Viking cases. President Juncker has promised equal pay for equal work for posted workers in the Commission Work Programme 2016 and his political programme ‘A new start for Europe’. 

The ETUC criticises the conclusions of the Heads of state today on refugees. Instead of enhancing humanitarian efforts, Europe turns toward a war against refugees. Refugees coming to the EU are represented as a 'flow' to be stemmed. 

As the EU digests the contents of the Donald Tusk’s proposed deal with the UK on EU membership, the European Trade Union Confederation said that robbing-low paid workers of their rights would help neither the UK nor the EU. “What Europe needs is investment and decent pay for workers” said Luca Visentini, ETUC General Secretary “not robbing low-paid migrants of their rights.”

Statement from the ETUC Mobility, Migration and Inclusion Committee Stop discriminating against refugees on grounds of nationality! The ETUC has received information from informal and informal sources around the so-called ‘Balkan route’ of entry to the EU that since 19 November 2015, the states of FYROM Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia have been allowing only Syrians, Iraqis and Afghanis to enter their countries.

The 2015-2017 work programme of the european partners 'partnership for inclusive growth and employment'