Brussels, 18/03/2008

Rome, 08/03/2008 To be checked against delivery Care amiche, cari amici, é per me oggi un gran privilegio poter festeggiare insieme a voi, in questa splendida cornice, il centenario dell'8 (otto) marzo. Giornata internazionale della donna. Mi felicito per l'iniziativa. La vostra presenza, il vostro coinvolgimento, é già un successo.

Brussels, 13/03/2008 The climate change and energy package put forward by the European Commission is a major step towards an international solution to address the threat of climate change.

Brussels, 13/03/2008 To be checked against delivery Presidents, ladies and gentlemen, we are pleased to be at this tripartite social summit this morning. These events are an important reminder of the need for Europe to have an effective social dimension. It is vitally important that Europe is successfully economically and environmentally but it must also be successful socially.

Brussels, 13/03/2008 The social dimension has been becalmed in the past decade. The broad picture is of limited activity, with the growing impression that social Europe has somehow come to a standstill. John Monks, ETUC General Secretary declared: “In our view, social Europe is in retreat and it will be no surprise when the voices calling for protectionism become more strident. Support for the single market is dependent on support for Social Europe. That is the deal – and it is not working for us at the moment.”

Brussels, 12/03/2008 The European Commission claims that 6.5 million new jobs have been created in the last two years. However, trade unions in the Member States testify that they leave much to be desired in terms of quality. - The number of workers on fixed-term contracts has increased by 10 million since 1997. - Many of the new jobs are part-time, with almost one-fifth of EU workers now employed on this basis – at least 20% of them because they cannot get a full time job.

Brussels, 07/03/2008

Brussels, 06/03/2008 The aim of this survey is to assess progress in reducing the gender representation gap in trade unions and to highlight successful gender-mainstreaming activities within ETUC-affiliated organisations.

Brussels, 06/03/2008 The euro exchange rate has recently breached the 1.50$ barrier. The euro’s continuing appreciation is becoming alarming. An excessively expensive euro will cost European jobs, coming as it does on top of other setbacks to growth (the sub-prime financial crisis and credit squeeze, the US recession, and the end of the construction boom in several EU countries).

Brussels, 05/03/2008 The Executive Committee condemned the disproportionate use of force by the Israeli military in Gaza in recent days that has caused the deaths of over one hundred Palestinians – many of them civilians, women and children among them. It is a collective punishment of the population of Gaza which violates international law.

Brussels, 04/03/2008 European workers are facing common problems: a drop in purchasing power, coupled with wage moderation and inequality. In response, European trade unions are mobilising on 5 April, the date of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) meeting in Slovenia, to demand better wages, greater purchasing power and equal pay. All the ETUC's affiliated trade union organisations will be sending delegations to Ljubljana. Practical information on the route, the timing and the activities will be sent to you in the coming weeks.

Brussels, 04/03/2008 A top priority for debate is the trade union reaction to the recent Viking and Laval rulings in the European Court of Justice (ECJ). The meeting will also firm up arrangements for the European demonstration for better pay in Ljubljana on 5 April.

Brussels, 03/03/2008 Fighting climate change and energy security are political priorities for Europe. The ETUC, EEB and Social Platform call on the European Council to respect the key principles of the EU 2006 strategy for sustainable development and in particular social equity and social cohesion, the precautionary principle and involvement of citizens, businesses and workers' organisations (see editor’s note).