Leaders of European and Spanish trade unions today told the European Commission to stop using negotiations over Spain’s national recovery plan to frustrate reforms of workers’ rights and pensions.
ETUC general secretary Luca Visentini and UGT general secretary Pepe Álvarez, who also spoke on behalf of the CCOO, held an online meeting with Commission vice-president Valdis Dombrovskis to discuss his recent comments regarding Spanish government plans for progressive labour and pension reforms as part of its national recovery plan.
Responding to the economic guidance provided to member states by the European Commission today as part of its European Semester Spring Package, ETUC Confederal Secretary Liina Carr said:
“Unprecedented levels of public investment supported by the EU are returning growth to Europe’s economy, in contrast to the decade-long fallout from the austerity measures taken following the last crisis.
The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) condemns the threats and insults by Bosnian Serb politician Milorad Dodik against journalist Tanja Topic.
Currently a member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Dodik called the journalist a German agent and ‘quisling’. It is the latest in his campaign of threats and insults against journalists who is he disagrees with.
Negotiations between EU institutions over long-awaited legislation on country-by-country tax reporting by multinational companies were concluded last night with a disappointing agreement.
Legislation to prevent tax avoidance schemes and aggressive tax planning, of the kind to which banks are already subject to, are needed to meet important social and ecological needs at a time of rising inequality.
Dear Grigori, delegates, guests,
It is an honour to address the Congress of Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine. We have a long history of cooperation, within the PERC, but also directly with the ETUC and in the framework of the EU-Ukraine cooperation processes.
Ukraine is an associated member of the EU through the Association agreement, it is an important EU trade and international partner, it nurtures EU aspirations, and these aspirations are welcome by the ETUC and PERC.
Commenting on the European Commission’s communication on corporate taxation, European Trade Union Confederation Confederal Secretary Liina Carr said:
“The EU is losing between 35-70 billion Euro each year as a result of corporate tax avoidance, resulting in fewer well-paid jobs, lower social protection and run-down public services.
Over the last decade, platform companies like Uber and Deliveroo have exploited loopholes in the law to make big profits through falsely self-employing their workers, allowing them to avoid obligations to proper pay and working conditions.
This means workers often don’t earn the minimum wage, don’t have any paid holidays, don’t have the right to paid sick leave or any social security contributions. It’s not only unfair to workers, but to the vast majority of businesses who play by the rules and to all citizens because these practices rob public services of funding.
Commenting on the European Commission’s spring economic forecast, European Trade Union Confederation Confederal Secretary Liina Carr said:
“Today’s forecast is a vindication of Europe’s progressive response to the economic and social consequences of the pandemic.
Commenting on the overall conclusions of the informal meeting of the Heads of State /Government, in which they
Commit to reduce inequalities, defend fair wages and fight poverty and discrimination
Commit to achieve new EU targets to increase employment and training and reduce poverty
Recognise that the European Pillar of Social Rights is a fundamental element of recovery
Luca Visentini, ETUC General Secretary, said
Commenting on the declaration of the EU’s Porto Social Summit, European Trade Union Confederation General Secretary Luca Visentini said:
“Today’s declaration represents a symbolic turning point for Europe, beginning to put it back on the social path enshrined in the founding treaties that is needed to build back fairer from the pandemic.
Two of Europe’s leading economists are supporting calls for a strong EU directive on adequate minimum wages as a crucial part of the recovery from the Covid crisis.
In a significant intervention which coincides with the EU social summit in Porto, an open letter signed by professors Mariana Mazzucato and Thomas Piketty says the directive represents a “paradigm shift” in European Commission policy compared to its response to the financial crisis.
ETUC General Secretary Luca Visentini has challenged European leaders to turn their warm words over social rights into action ahead of the EU’s Social Summit in Porto tomorrow.
Speaking at an ETUC event in Porto on the eve of the summit, which was attended by Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa and European Commissioner for Social Rights Nicolas Schmit, Mr Visentini said member states had not taken enough action to implement the European Pillar of Social Rights since it was launched in 2017.
