Every spring, Forbes magazine releases a list of the world’s billionaires – a list that has been growing almost every year of this decade. The 2017 list features 445 billionaires from the countries of the EU. Their combined net worth, according to the magazine, is over €1.3 trillion.

The ETUC expressed its sadness at news of an incident in Stockholm in which a lorry has driven into people on a street in the centre of the city. The General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation, Luca Visentini, said “I am shocked that we have another vehicle assault on randomly selected pedestrians. My thoughts are with the victims and their families, and with the emergency service workers dealing with the incident.”

Participation in the new European Solidarity Corps must be clearly distinguished from the long-term employment of young people, insists the ETUC Youth Committee, in advance of today’s decision in the European Parliament, and a stakeholder forum on 12 April. MEPs vote on a resolution aimed at strengthening the European Solidarity Corps (ESC), while warning against blurring the distinction between volunteering and quality jobs for young people.  The ETUC welcomes and supports this approach. 

The European Court of Auditors (ECA) today launched a report on youth unemployment pointing out the little progress made by the EU Youth Guarantee and the insufficient contribution of the Youth Employment Initiative in the Member States visited. ETUC agrees with many findings and recommendations of the report

The European Trade Union Confederation sends its solidarity and condolences to the victims of the St Petersburg terrorist attack and the people of St Petersburg.  "I am shocked and saddened by the news of the terrorist attacks in the metro of St Petersburg,” said ETUC General Secretary Luca Visentini. “Unfortunately, it is not the first time that the citizens of this beautiful city have suffered from such a tragedy. My thoughts and sympathies are with the victims, their families and with the Russian people. Nothing can justify such acts of barbarism." 

Responding to the draft negotiating guidelines published today, the ETUC pointed out that while the guidelines state that citizens’ rights will be a priority for negotiations, the EU continues to insist that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed.

Dear Readers, We have just published the March 2017 edition of the ETUC Newsletter. To read the document, please click here. Enjoy!  

The International and European Trade Union Confederations called on the International Monetary Fund to stop insisting that Greece undertake even more pension cuts and labour market deregulation before the Fund will agree to a new loan programme, or to signing off on disbursements by European institutions.  

The ETUC is calling on EU representatives to defend trade union rights when they meet members of the Kazakhstan government in Astana today. In a letter to EU High Representative Federica Mogherini, ETUC General Secretary Luca Visentini and Sharan Burrow, General Secretary of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ITUC), condemn the arrest and interrogation of trade unionists and moves to deregister trade unions in Kazakhstan.  The International Labour Organization has repeatedly urged Kazakh ministers to repeal the law that restricts union activities.

With the UK Government expected to trigger article 50 this week, the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) has called on EU Chief Negotiator Michel Barnier to ensure “a social and economic agreement that protects jobs, living standards and workers’ rights, and not a free trade deal built on a platform of lower pay, tax and standards.” The ETUC called for  

Commenting on 'The Rome Declaration', in which 27 EU member States "pledge to work towards ... a social Europe ... which ...promotes economic and social progress as well as cohesion and convergence...equality between women and men...rights and equal opportunities for all; ...which fights unemployment, discrimination, social exclusion and poverty" and refers to the "key role of social partners",  Luca Visentini, General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), who was present at the signing, said:

Today, on the eve of the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Treaties of Rome, and the day before an informal EU summit to celebrate the anniversary and reflect on the current state and future of the EU, the European Trade Union Confederation

The European Trade Union Confederation published today its plan for a European Public Treasury. The ETUC’s proposal would be a way to insure a minimum level of public investment in all Member States. The European Commission has called for a fiscal expansion of up to 0.5% of GDP in 2017 across the euro area on the whole, but this is not compatible with the Stability and Growth pact.