Speech given by Luca Visentini at the Tripartite Social Summit on 20 March 2019 in Brussels
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Dear President Tusk, dear President Juncker, dear Prime Minister Dăncilă,
Dear Vice President, Commissioner, Ministers, authorities and colleagues,
This Tripartite Social Summit takes place two months before the European elections, and we all bear the responsibility to launch a positive message to European citizens, workers and businesses:
Commenting on the deal today in ‘trilogue’ on social security coordination, Liina Carr, Confederal Secretary at the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) said
Eight European trade unions are supporting the global day of protest being staged by young people against climate change on Friday: ETUC, EFJ, EFBWW, EPSU, EFFAT, ETF, Uni-Europa and IndustriAll (representing workers in energy intensive industries).
The ETUC gives a cautious welcome to the agreement for EU legislation on whistleblowing and the introduction of an EU wide obligation on employers to both protect and listen to workers who raise concerns at work. The Directive requires employers with more than 50 employees to have written workplace whistleblowing procedures in place.
The European elections in May are the most important for decades – and the turnout and vote of women will be crucial to halt the rise of the anti-European and far-right parties.
On 8 March – International Women’s Day - the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) launches a call for women to vote in the European elections, and to vote for women candidates who support gender equality and trade union demands for a fairer Europe for all workers.
As the EU’s flagship whistleblowing Directive reaches the final stage of negotiations between national Governments and the European Parliament, trade unions warn that the EU risks ending up with a Directive that protects companies more than it protects whistleblowers!
In the final round of negotiations on the company law package, Member States have to guarantee that the directive protects workers’ rights, tackles abuses and prevents the setup of letterbox companies. The Directive goes to the next round of ‘trilogue’ negotiations (between the three European Union (EU) institutions Commission, Council and Parliament) on 5 March, preceded by a meeting of member state diplomats (COREPER) on 1 March.
The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) calls on the Justice Ministers to agree with the European Parliament position on the following:
Commenting on European Commission’s ‘European Semester Winter Package’, Katja Lehto-Komulainen, Deputy General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation said:
“The ETUC welcomes the European Commission calling for more investment, acknowledging that real household income remains below pre-crisis levels in some EU countries, and asking EU Member States to step up their action to make economic growth benefit all citizens. We also welcome the priority given to investing in skills.
The outcome of May’s European elections will be crucial for the future direction of the EU, and trade unions are playing an active role in the campaign.
On 26 February the ETUC launches its election programme - agreed by the European Trade Union Confederation’s 90 national trade union organisations representing 45 million working people – which calls on all people to vote in the European elections, and to vote for parties and candidates that support trade union demands for a fairer Europe for workers.
ETUC congratulates and supports students and pupils across Europe for demanding more urgent action to prevent climate change.
“We are proud of your responsibility and enthusiasm” said Montserrat Mir, Confederal Secretary at the European Trade Union Confederation. “Young people are right to demand that politicians across the globe deliver decisive action to protect the world that the young will inherit.”
The ETUC calls on the European institutions to adopt quickly the agreement reached today by the European Commission, Parliament and Council on the Regulation establishing a European Labour Authority.
The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) is calling for the adoption of the final agreement concluded last night by the three institutions, the EU Commission, the European Parliament and the Member States on Transparent and Predictable Working Conditions.
