14 March 2013 – European Trade Union action

Brussels, 2013

Ahead of the European Summit scheduled for 14 and 15 March, the European Trade Union is organising a European Trade Union action on 14 March against austerity and for jobs for young people.

Austerity is not working. It is driving the economy into recession and forcing the most vulnerable citizens into poverty. Only a change of economic and political governance can improve employment and growth. We need an urgent change of direction. The European Union needs to have a strong social dimension. That is why the European Trade Union Confederation is organising a European Trade Union action on 14 March 2013, ahead of the European Summit.

One of the action’s priorities will be to focus on young people who are paying the heaviest price for the crisis and austerity.

TOGETHER FOR A BETTER FUTURE: YES TO JOBS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE!

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Together for a better future: No to austerity! Yes to jobs for young people!}}

Young people are more exposed to unemployment than any other age group.

The explosion in unemployment and the increasing precariousness for young Europeans are creating an unsustainable situation. The equilibrium of European society is being shaken. Only a change of economic and political governance can improve employment and training for young people . We need to change direction urgently.

In December 2012, 5.702 million young people under the age of 25 were out of work in the European Union, of which 3,624 million were in the euro zone.

We need investment in youth to give them training and access to quality jobs.

When and where?

On 14 March, a European trade union rally will take place at the Parc du Cinquantenaire in Brussels in the European area from 2pm to 4pm.

- Programme and plan of the trade union rally : http://www.etuc.org/IMG/pdf/Plan_programme_recto_verso_A4.pdf

Photos of the European trade union rally in Brussels:

The rally is being organised by the Belgian trade unions (FGTB / ABVV, CSC / ACV, CGSLB/ACLVB) and the ETUC.

European delegations are expected.

To date, the following European union leaders will participate in this gathering:

ETUC/CES: Ignacio Fernández Toxo, President & Bernadette Ségol, General Secretary.

FGTB / ABVV: Rudy de Leeuw, President & Anne Demelenne, General Secretary.

CSC/ACV: Marc Leemans, President & Claude Rolin, General Secretary.

CGSLB/ACLVB: Jan Vercamst, President & Bernard Noël , National Secretary.

CGT - France: Bernard Thibault , General Secretary,

FO - France: Jean-Claude Mailly, General Secretary,

CFDT - France: Véronique Descacq, Deputy General Secretary,

UNSA - France: Luc Bérille, General Secretary,

DGB - Germany: Ulrich Thöne, Chief of national teachers union,

ADEDY - Greece: Kostas Tsikrikas, President,

CGIL - Italy : Fausto Durante, Head of CGIL European affairs,

OGB-L Luxembourg : Jean Claude Reding, President,

UGT-P Portugal: João Proença, General Secretary,

USO - Spain: Julio Salazar Moreno, General Secretary,

TUC - United Kingdom: Billy Hayes, Spokesperson for the TUC on Europe.

European Trade Union Federations

EPSU: Carola Fischbach-Pyttel, General Secretary

IndustryAll: Ulrich Eckelmann, General Secretary

EFJ: Beth Costa, General Secretary

What?

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The themes of the European Trade Union action are against austerity and for the call for quality jobs for young people.}}

Flyer

- EN (332 Kb)

- FR (333 Kb)

- Briefing note on the "Youth Guarantee"

Poster

To download the Poster, please click on the link below.

- Poster (471 Kb)

Twitter feed

#140313Youth

Decentralised actions taking place within the context of the European Trade Union action on 14 March

- Austria: OEGB

Rally in front of the European Union’s Representation in Vienna.

Information Campaign: http://www.oegb.at/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=S06/Page/Index&n=S06_0.a&cid=1361287983692 ; http://www.etuc.org/IMG/pdf/aktionstag_flugblatt_2_.pdf

- Germany : DGB

Press conference on youth unemployment (13/03/2013) and an International Youth Conference (18/03/2013)

http://www.etuc.org/IMG/pdf/301_International_Youth_Conference.pdf

- Greece : ADEDY

Demonstration on the 13 March: www.adedy.gr

- Latvia : LBAS

Video message from LBAS in support of the ETUC European trade union action.

- Poland : FZZ

Statement of FZZ on ETUC Action Day delivered at the FZZ’s Presidium.

Conference “Polish labour market in the eyes of the young people” on 20th March .

- Poland : OPPZ

Statement of OPZZ on ETUC Action Day delivered at the special session of the OPZZ’s Presidium held in Warsaw.

- Poland : NSZZ Solidarnosc

Video message from NSZZ Solidarnosc in support of the ETUC European trade union action.

- Portugal: CGT-P

Demonstration in Lisbon against austerity: http://www.cgtp.pt/

UGT-P will be present at the Brussels rally.

- Spain : CC OO - UGT - USO.

In companies Meetings. Information Campaign

CC OO: http://www.ccoo.es/csccoo/menu.do?Inicio:486482

UGT: http://www.ugt.es/actualidad/2013/marzo/a01032013.html

USO: http://www.uso.es/media/DINA510Marzo2013MAnifestacion.pdf

On the 10 March the Spanish trade unions and the civil society organisations will organise country-wide demonstrations against unemployment.

CC OO : http://www.ccoo.es/csccoo/menu.do?Informacion:Campanas:485554

UGT: http://www.ugt.es/actualidad/2013/febrero/b28022013.html

USO: http://www.uso.es/media/DINA510Marzo2013MAnifestacion.pdf

- UK: TUC

Rally at Westminster, London: http://afuturethatworks.org/a-future-for-families-pre-budget-rally-in-london/

Press contacts

ETUC

Patricia Grillo Head of Press and Communications +32 (0) 477 77 01 64

Emanuela Bonacina Press officer +32 (0) 473 94 26 47

Daniele Melli Press officer +32 (0) 473 94 25 63

Press contacts for the Belgian trade union

CSC

David Vanbellinghen +32 (0)2 246 34 82

Benoit Constant +32 (0)2 246 32 84

FGTB

Audrey Lhoest +32 (0)2 506 83 65

Martine Vandevenne +32 (0)2 506 82 41

CGSLB

Dirk Mertens +32 (0)2 558 51 50

Didier Seghin +32 (0)2 558 51 50