First of all, thank you for inviting the ETUC to your conference, and for inviting me as a new confederal secretary. Congratulations to Therese and Vivian, the conference chairs. I think is a good idea to pay tribute to all the Irish women who have dedicated their lives to fighting for equal opportunities, and for better lives for future generations. We need to continue this work.

A revision of the Posted Workers Directive is due to published by the European Commission on Tuesday 8 March without any prior consultation with the social partners – employers and  trade unions. A revision would be welcome given the fact that the principle of equal pay has been undermined by a series of European court cases including the notorious Laval and Viking cases. President Juncker has promised equal pay for equal work for posted workers in the Commission Work Programme 2016 and his political programme ‘A new start for Europe’. 

Today a major new coalition of businesses, cities, trade unions and NGOs, are calling on EU leaders to act on the Paris Agreement and ensure that EU climate policies are coherent with its goals. The new informal Coalition for Higher Ambition is an unprecedented gathering of stakeholders standing together to influence Heads of State and Ministers ahead of the 4 March Environment Council and the 17-18th March European Council – the largest and most diverse such grouping in Europe, on this topic.

Dear Readers, We have just published the February 2016 edition of the ETUC Newsletter. To read the document, please click here. Enjoy!

The ITUC and the European Trade Union Confederation today welcomed the release of two Turkish journalists, Can Dündar and Erdem Gül, held in prison since November after being charged with revealing state secrets relating to weapon trafficking to Syria.  Prosecutors had been seeking life imprisonment for the two journalists from leading independent newspaper Hurriyet.

The European Commission’s Country Reports – due to be issued today – are a test of its commitment to a fairer EMU (a key part of President Juncker’s programme); involving trade unions and employers in the economic semester process (a key part of the Commission’s relaunch of social dialogue in March 2015).     The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) and its national trade union members are actively involved in the semester process, and have submitted recommendations for the country reports of each member state.  

European and Japanese trade unions are demanding that negotiators should work towards an EU-Japan trade deal that protects workers’ rights, creates decent jobs and promotes high social, environmental and health standards. Japan is the EU’s second biggest trading partner in Asia, and together the two blocs account for more than one-third of world GDP, so the stakes are high. 

Commenting on the UK deal, Luca Visentini, General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation said  "Cameron had succeeded in exempting the UK from important duties of EU membership." "The EU must ensure that none of the exceptions and restrictions apply to other member states.  

The ETUC criticises the conclusions of the Heads of state today on refugees. Instead of enhancing humanitarian efforts, Europe turns toward a war against refugees. Refugees coming to the EU are represented as a 'flow' to be stemmed. 

Luca Visentini, General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), together with ITUC and DISK trade union leaders, went to Istanbul prison to show solidarity with Can Dündar and Erdem Gül, two journalists and trade unionists who are in jail accused of being spies and enemies of the state for having published articles about weapon trafficking to Syria by the Turkish secret services. European and International trade unions demand the immediate release of the journalists.

European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), trade unionists from Europe and Lithuanian politicians will be in the Lithuanian Parliament on Wednesday 10 February to discuss social dialogue and modern legislation, while the rights of Lithuanian trade unions and workers are in danger from proposed changes in the Labour Code. Many highly problematic changes were proposed for the Draft Lithuanian Labour Code that would dramatically deteriorate workers’ and trade unions conditions in Lithuania.

The European Commission’s winter 2016 economic forecast predicts moderate growth and unemployment to fall at snail’s pace. European Commissioner Moscovici acknowledged that more work is needed to increase investment, and called for richer member states to increase public investment. “Richer countries must invest more to drive growth and create jobs,” said Veronica Nilsson, Deputy General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation. “We are with Commissioner Moscovici on that one.

Members of the European Parliament echo calls from civil society, public service providers and workers to fully exclude public services from trade agreements.