The EU’s Eastern Partner countries - Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine – whose Heads of Government/State will be in Brussels on Friday 24 November for the EU’s Eastern Partnership Summit, have a very poor record of implementing workers’ rights.
Commenting on the European Commission’s ‘Annual Growth Survey’ – which kicks off the annual economic policy-making ‘Semester’ – Katja Lehto Komuleinen, Deputy General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation said
“I hope today’s announcement is the beginning of better EU economic policy, the start of EU economic policy that is about fairness and living conditions and not just fiscal rules.”
Commenting on the European Commission’s Action Plan to tackle the gender pay gap, published today, Montserrat Mir, Confederal Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation said “We have been waiting far too long for renewed legislative action against the gender pay gap across the EU. The ETUC welcomes any promise to look at possible changes to the Gender Equality Directive, but looking has to be followed by doing. We need legally-binding obligations on pay transparency and sanctions against those that fail to deliver.”
Despite the irresponsible attitude of the US government, the UN COP 23 climate conference, which is ending today in Bonn, has confirmed that climate change is a major priority for countries, cities – which are playing a leading role in implementing climate action – civil society, business organisations and trade unions, says the ETUC.
Gothenburg, 17 November 2017
Esteemed authorities, social partners, civil society representatives,
On behalf of the European Trade Union Confederation, I would really like to thank Prime Minister Stefan Löfven and President Jean-Claude Juncker for having organised this summit, which is extremely valuable in bringing together all EU leaders to discuss putting the social dimension back on track in the European Union.
“Signing the European Pillar of Social Rights must be the starting gun of a race to implement it,” said Luca Visentini, General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC). “The Social Pillar is useful only if it is the beginning of better things to come.”
Esteemed Presidents and Prime Ministers,
I would really like to thank Stefan Löfven for his kind offer to organise this extraordinary tripartite meeting, the day before the Social Summit.
This is a great opportunity for social partners to play a role in support of the European Pillar of Social Rights and for its implementation, following tomorrow’s proclamation.
Trade Unions at EU Social Summit 16-17 November
European trade unions will be at the EU Social Summit in Gothenburg, with a European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) event and trade union delegations taking part in an Extraordinary Tripartite Social Summit and the Social Summit.
Below are details of ETUC events open to journalists, and the participation and availability of trade unionists in Summit events.
16 November 2017
12.00-14.00 ETUC public event - Building a better Europe for working people
The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) and industriAll Europe call on MEPs to vote tomorrow – Tuesday 14 November – in favour of the agreement by the European Commission, Parliament and Council on anti-dumping.
The trade unions welcome the new method for assessing whether dumping caused by state subsidies is taking place. Indeed, the new method
· does not grant market economy status to China, and
The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) today warned that yesterday’s European Court of Justice judgement on the Working Time Directive does NOT give employers a green light to make workers work for 12 days before they get a day of rest.
The ‘Paradise Papers’ show the multiple legal ways for companies and rich individuals to avoid tax, and highlight the need for determined action for tax justice, says the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC).
“While millions of Europeans struggle to make a living on low-paid, part-time and temporary jobs, large companies and rich individuals are using the many loopholes available to them to avoid paying their fair share of tax,” said Katja Lehto-Komulainen, Deputy General Secretary of the ETUC.
Minimum wages are so far below the official low-wage threshold in many EU countries that many workers would struggle to make a living, shows an ETUC briefing paper published today.
Minimum wages would have to increase by 62% in Spain, 28% in Germany and 22% in the UK just to reach a level below the low-wage threshold (set by the OECD at two-thirds of the national median wage).
