Brussels, 16/05/2009
Demonstrators are demanding more ambitious and more courageous action by Europe and national governments to help the growing armies of unemployed. They also demand that never again can the excesses of financial capitalism to be allowed to wreck the world economy.
ETUC General Secretary, John Monks, said: ‘The size of these Euro-demonstrations reveals the widespread concerns for the future. The world of financial capitalism seems to assume that after a few ‘green shoots’ of recovery, it will be soon business as usual for them despite their recent heart attack. But they are still on life support provided by Europe’s tax payers, and never again can greed and selfishness be allowed to cause damage of amounts of trillions of euros. Tighter regulation of financial markets is needed now and more workers influence on boardrooms. Workers want life support systems for industry and jobs too, and ambitious action to help the fight against growing unemployment. That’s the message from the streets across Europe this week.’
Visit ETUC's photo gallery of the Euro-demonstrations in <strong>Madrid</strong>, <strong>Brussels</strong>, <strong>Berlin</strong> and <strong>Prague</strong>.
See also the ETUC Manifesto <strong>Fight the crisis: put the people first</strong>, as well as ETUC demands for a <strong>New Social Deal in Europe</strong>.