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 Readers, We have just published the May 2021 edition of the ETUC newsletter. To read the document, please click here. Enjoy!

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.

Companies from countries that allow gross exploitation of workers and flout basic internationally recognised rights should not be allowed to compete in the EU single market says the ETUC. Tomorrow the European Commission will publish a draft regulation on distortive foreign subsidies. The ETUC says that using forced or child labour and not respecting basic rights like the right of workers to organise constitutes an unfair competitive advantage (as well as being morally repugnant) and should be considered a subsidy from a non-EU Government that does not prevent it.

Video message by Luca Visentini, ETUC General Secretary "Solidarity is the of trade unions, the of fighting COVID19. Put Solidarity at the of recovery"