Letter sent to: Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission; Charles Michel, President of the European Council; Prime Ministers/Head of State; David Sassoli, President European Parliament;  Andrej Plenković, President of the Government of the Republic of Croatia; Mario Centeno, President of the Eurogroup; Christine Lagarde, President European Central Bank Concerns: Emergency measures to save jobs and protect workers’ rights in the European Union

Dear Prime Minister, Dear Minister, The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) has been informed by its Croatian affiliates, SSSH and NHS, that the Croatian Ministry of Labour and Pension System is drafting an Act on regulating labour relations in the circumstances of the COVID-19 epidemic and by which bring some important changes to fundamental social rights as they are currently enshrined in the Croatian Labour Code. The law would amongst others “temporarily”:

Respect for human rights and fundamental values should be guiding the Union in all its internal as well as external actions. In everyday life as well as in times of crises, the universality and indivisibility of human rights must be upheld to ensure human dignity at both global and local level.

Dear Presidents, The COVID-19 emergency is hitting working people in Europe hard. Those who work in activities of general interest, such as health care, transportation, agriculture, food production, and many other services are exposed to contagion and are poorly protected. In many cases their working conditions have been worsened.

Brussels 25 March 2020 Road Map of the ETUC on Negotiations on a New Partnership with the UK Adopted at the Executive Committee meeting of 9-10 March 2020

To the Video Conference of the Members of the European Council     Statement of the European Social Partners ETUC, BusinessEurope, CEEP, SMEUnited on the COVID-19 emergency  

Call to EU institutions and national governments to protect workers now and in the future.   The ETUC Youth Committee is deeply concerned about the spread of coronavirus throughout Europe, particularly in countries such as Italy.  Such concerns relate to the repercussions this is having on the lives of thousands of people, as well as on economic activities, employment and the social dimension and resilience of the entire European Union. 

  Make money on value, not on health Appeal from the European Trade Union Confederation, with the support of economists and personalities, on extraordinary macroeconomic measures to tackle the COVID-19 emergency

The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) and the Pan European Regional Council of the International Trade Union Confederation (PERC) welcome the European Commission’s proposals for a renewed Eastern Partnership with Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. Both trade union organisations welcome the commitment of the European Commission to continue and deepen the Eastern Partnership with the six EU neighborhood countries.  

  Statement of the European Social Partners ETUC, BusinessEurope, CEEP, SMEUnited on the COVID-19 emergency

Brussels 11 March 2020 ETUC position on the plurilateral negotiations on e-commerce Adopted at the Executive Committee Meeting of 9-10 March 2020 Introduction

ETUC Declaration on the COVID-19 Outbreak In addition to the text below agreed by the ETUC Executive Committee, the ETUC has  cancelled all its meetings until April 19 that involve its staff or members travelling abroad, and instructed its staff not to travel abroad for other meetings, as part of a package of measures to deal with Covid-19.   Adopted at the Executive Committee of the 9-10 March 2020

The European Trade Union Movement will welcome the forthcoming EU industrial strategy if the proposals are fair for workers, supportive of the most vulnerable regions and sectors and with sufficient funding to be implemented properly. Workers and trade unions are part of the solution and expect an inclusive governance process to shape and implement the strategy.