Dear readers, Welcome to the September 2019 edition of Workers’ Voice National UPdates. As the Climate Action campaign gathers strength, this month we focus on how trade unions around Europe are working with young people and civil society organisations to achieve climate justice. As usual, National Updates seeks out some interesting and even unexpected examples of how European unions are cooperating and working constructively with employers, governments and civil society to foster social progress.

ETUC annual EWC Conference (11-12 September 2019) “Stronger European Works Councils for More Democracy at Work” Live web streaming available! Review yesterday session here

On the 25th anniversary of the European Workers Councils Directive, the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) is calling on the new European Commission and Parliament to strengthen workers' democracy across the European Union. A statement calling for new EU initiatives for more -           and stronger European Works Councils

The distribution of Commission portfolios announced today is a hopeful sign that the EU can deliver social progress over the next five years – now it’s time for the right personnel to deliver the right policies. The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) applauds the fact that the proposed Commission is gender balanced and places politicians who understand the needs of working people in key roles.

The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) will participate in the global climate action week to put pressure on world leaders to deliver urgent solutions to the worsening climate crisis, and is calling on national trade unions to take their own actions across Europe. Demonstrations will take place around the world between September 20 and 27 to coincide with the United Nation’s climate summit in New York, where heads of governments must take concrete action to deliver on the promises of the Paris Agreement.

As the world watches the Amazon burning in horror, the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) urges the EU and the international community to act decisively to save the world’s largest rainforest. The ETUC proposes that action should include

The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) is appalled that Polish newspaper Gazeta Polska distributed today ‘LGBT free zone’ stickers. Doing so could create unnecessary divisions and conflicts in workplaces and in society, as demonstrated by the violence against members of the LGTB community on Saturday. Producing such stickers could lead people to break the law by discriminating on grounds of sexual orientation, which is against EU and Polish law. It also disrespects fundamental human rights.

“Considering the tiny majority Ursula von der Leyen got in Parliament", said Luca Visentini, General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation, “we urge the new President of the Commission to build an alliance with the democratic parties only, and to reconfirm the cordon sanitaire against the far right. If she wants to deliver as Commission President, she needs to rebuild the trust that was jeopardised by the Council’s decisions. She needs to work for a more democratic European Union.”

The European Trade Union Confederation supports the Friuli Venezia Giulia-Slovenia Interregional Trade Union Council and Italian and Slovenian civil society in opposing border closure.

ETUC General Secretary Luca Visentini today called on the European Parliament, in its discussions and votes in the oncoming weeks, to support democracy and a more just and sustainable Europe. "I congratulate David Sassoli on his election as President of the European Parliament. The ETUC is ready to work with him and the Parliament to defend and deliver on the needs of Europe's working people and citizens for a more social, sustainable and fair Europe"  said Luca Visentini.

The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) condemned the arrest today by the Italian authorities of Carola Rakete, the captain of the Sea Watch ship rescuing migrants at risk of drowning in the Mediterranean. “Saving people at sea is a moral and legal duty” said Luca Visentini, Secretary General of the ETUC “and people who do it should be honoured not arrested.”

Dear Readers, We have just published the June 2019 edition of the ETUC newsletter. To read the document, please click here. Enjoy!

Climate change and digitalisation are among challenges which must be dealt with in a socially fair way according to a new EU report on the future of industry. The European Commission is today publishing ‘a vision for the European industry until 2030’ – the final report of their high-level roundtable set up in December 2017 which brought together unions with employers and experts to prepare an EU industrial policy.