On April 28, European Trade unions will commemorate International Workers’ Memorial Day – remembering the 150,000 people who have died in the EU from occupational cancers since the European Commission suspended work on legislation protecting workers from chemicals that cause cancer. Every year 100,000 people in the EU die from occupational cancers. In October 2013 the European Commission stopped developing exposure limits for chemicals that cause cancer because it is reviewing ‘red tape’ – with the result that only 3 cancer-causing chemicals have European exposure limits!

The ETUC is calling on European Council President Donald Tusk to call an emergency Council meeting to agree action to tackle the humanitarian crisis in the Mediterranean Sea.   

This article was first published by the Global Call for Climate Action on their website : http://tcktcktck.org/2015/04/jozef-niemiec-what-is-just-transition-and-why-do-we-all-need-to-get-behind-it/67880 By Józef Niemiec, Deputy Secretary General, European Trade Union Confederation   Climate action is not simply an environmental issue. It requires society to make major changes to the economy. It cannot be imposed from above.  

The European Trade Union Confederation gives its full support to colleagues in Arab countries in their defence of people’s rights, in particular the right to a dignified and safe life.  The ETUC in particular subscribes to the statement of the Arab Trade Union Confederation https://www.ituc-csi.org/declaration-of-the-arab-trade.  

Dear Readers, We have just published the March 2015 edition of the ETUC Newsletter. To read the document, please click here. Enjoy!

The European Trade Union Confederation welcomed the decision of the European Court of Human Rights in the case of İsmail Sezer v. Turkey (application no. 36807/07) as a small but important step forward for trade union rights in Turkey. The case concerned a disciplinary measure taken against a teacher, who held office in a trade union, for taking part in a panel discussion organised by a political party. The Court found that the reprimand imposed on Mr Sezer constituted a restriction of his freedom of association.

“It is clear that Tunisia has since the revolution been in the crosshairs of Islamist terrorist groups that are trying to destabilise the country and to ruin its economic prospects through their actions,” declared Bernadette Ségol, General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), in Brussels.

Speech given by Bernadette Ségol, General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation   [Check against delivery]     Ladies and gentlemen, colleagues and friends, Brendan,   It’s an honour for me to be invited to deliver this lecture, commemorating Sir Pat Lowry: well-known as a former Chair of ACAS.

In its first judgement on the Directive on temporary agency work (C-533/13 AKT ), published today, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) gave its interpretation of Article 4 of the Directive.

“We welcome our colleagues from Montenegro and FYRO Macedonia into the European trade union movement” said Bernadette Ségol, General Secretary of the ETUC, “and will work with CTUM, UFTUM and FTUM to improve working conditions for all people in Montenegro and FYRO Macedonia, and to ensure the full adoption of EU social and trade union rights on the way to full EU membership. The destiny of the people of Montenegro and FYRO Macedonia and of the EU is together.”  

Luca Visentini is the proposed successor to Bernadette Ségol as General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation. A meeting of the ETUC’s Executive Committee voted the 46 year old current Confederal Secretary of the ETUC as ‘General Secretary Designate’, subject to final decision by ETUC Congress in October in Paris.*

European trade unionists today made a united call for tax justice, and demanded new national and European actions to end to tax evasion and avoidance, tax havens and aggressive tax planning.

EU Governments must break a 7 year impasse and agree 18 weeks minimum paid maternity leave says the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC).   To mark International Women’s Day the ETUC is • Highlighting the need to raise European maternity leave rights to international standards, and • Urging EU Governments to reach agreement on a proposal that has been blocked since 2008!