Speaking ahead of the European Summit, Luca Visentini, the new General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation, will tell Presidents Juncker and Tusk and Prime Minister Bettel (chair of the rotating Council Presidency) at this morning’s ‘Tripartite Social Summit’ that the ETUC
- Fully supports the European Commission’s initiatives to address the refugee emergency in Europe.
- The forthcoming Mobility Package needs to clearly define ‘equal treatment’ for workers who take up freedom of movement, and reflect the fact that abuses are not generally by workers.
- Calls for negotiated wage increases, through collective bargaining, to drive demand and growth.
- Notes that collective bargaining has been weakened by economic governance, and a different approach by the Commission is needed in the new ‘Semester’.
- Opposes the Five Presidents’ report’s proposal to set up a system of ‘Competitiveness Authorities’ to issue wage guidelines as it would infringe the autonomy of trade unions and employers, and the right to free collective bargaining.
- Calls for social dialogue to be extended to the Eurogroup, enabling employers and trade unions to be involved in discussions with Finance and Labour ministers in the Monetary Union.
- Wants to discuss and make progress as soon as possible on President Juncker’s promised new ‘social pillar’.
Luca Visentini will take part in a press conference at 12.30 today in Justus Lipsius - after the ‘Tripartite Social Summit’ - with Presidents Juncker and Tusk, Prime Minister Bettel, and the Director General of BusinessEurope.
