London, 24/11/2009 Thanks to the European Business School for this invitation, and not least for the chance to renew my duels with John Cridland, sometime partner, sometime adversary, but always well respected in whatever guise he appears, however dastardly.

Brussels, 24/11/2009 For the most part they are members of the Confederation of Public Sector Trade Unions (KESK) and members of its teachers’ union Eğitim-Sen. Many of them hold important posts within their trade union, in particular for women’s affairs.

Brussels, 20/11/2009 John Monks said that the ETUC is looking forward to working with them in their important new jobs and expected them to help forge a new, more influential Europe. “Both are excellent candidates for the highest offices with a record of working well with trade unions. We count on them to take the EU forward.”

2009

Brussels, 27/10/2009

Brussels, 14/10/2009 Thank you for the privilege of inviting me to give the John Fitzmaurice lecture this year. I honour his memory and I follow in distinguished footsteps including those of Neil Kinnock, Margot Wallström and Geoff Hoon to address an old question about where Europe might be heading in the months and years ahead, an old question but one set against a rapidly changing landscape.

Bruxelles, 14/10/2009

Brussels, 05/10/2009 John Monks, ETUC General Secretary declared: 'It is a blow for the European trade unions to hear that an unknown person got into the DISK President's office and fired at him. We were relieved to hear that the wounds are not serious. These kinds of attempts are not acceptable. Trade union action is a right and trying to take the life of one of the leaders flouts this fundamental right'.

Pittsburgh, 14/09/2009 Sisters and brothers, retirement dinners can be strange affairs. When I left the British TUC to go to the European TUC, we had a splendid dinner, like this, in London. By the way, a guest of honour was Sir Alex Ferguson, manager of Manchester United. That won’t mean much to you Americans, but to anyone who follows the real football – just the rest of the world – it means a lot. That night, I listened to many kind words, exaggerated tributes, recitations of claimed victories, gentle irony on things which went less well.

Chianciano, 15-17/07/2009 It is always a pleasure to visit the CGIL and the beautiful region of Tuscany – the CGIL’s equivalent of the Costa Smeralda. Only a bit more dignified, I hope.

Tralee, 8-9/07/2009 President, delegates, fellow guests, thank you for the invitation to address your biennial congress once again. Two years ago, in Bundoran, I remember praising David Begg’s thoughtful introduction to the report of your Executive Council and in particular his warnings about casino capitalism. Well, a lot has happened over the last two years, and no one can say that the unions at least didn’t ring the alarm bells.

Brussels, 07/07/2009 The European trade unions, meeting on 8 July within the ETUC Executive Committee, will discuss current short- and medium-term economic and social issues, namely the economic crisis, the employment situation and the need for regulation of the financial markets. The meeting will also look at the Lisbon Treaty and the demand by the European trade unions to append a social progress protocol to the European treaties, as well as addressing climate change with a view to the forthcoming Copenhagen Summit.

Vienna, 01/07/2009 President, delegates, fellow guests. It is always a pleasure to visit the ÖGB and Vienna and I bring the greetings of the ETUC to the trade unionists of Austria. The ÖGB had an early taste of the damage that can be done by speculation in the world of financial services. Indeed it can be said that you were in the avant-garde of what, later, became a mass movement. We now know that it was not just one bank that was in trouble but that the problems were systemic.

Brussels, 17/06/2009 ETUC shares the sense of urgency expressed in this Declaration and has written to European leaders urging them to act boldly in favour of a Social Europe.

Londres, 29/05/2009

Bruxelles, 26/05/2009

London, 29/05/2009 Cathy, Keith and Jeff have remembered our remarkable friend, Brian Bercusson in the most appropriate of ways. To Cathy, let me say simply, ‘Thank you for letting us have Brian for all those years, during which the ETUC was going through a crucial formative period.’ We all know that he was a man who loved his work and that in this sense he was probably impossible to ‘manage’. He worked too hard, but he would have never done it any other way.

Brussels, 28/05/2009

Rome, 20/05/2009

Rome, 20/05/2009 Chair, General Secretary, delegates, fellow guests. Thank you for this invitation to address the Congress of CISL, sadly at a time of great crisis for Italy and Europe.

Berlin, 16/05/2009

Brussels, 08/05/2009 The European trade union movement has scored several successes with the outgoing Parliament, notably on key issues such as the Bolkestein Directive, the regulation for the registration of hazardous chemicals (REACH), the climate change package, as well as the rejection of the Port Package and of a weakening of the Working Time Directive. The European Parliament has scored some goals against the neo-liberal trend, but not enough.

Brussels, 30/04/2009