Brussels, 20/12/2013 The June 2012 growth pact will not relaunch growth and employment. After 18 months in operation, unemployment remains at over 12%, and youth unemployment is rocketing as high as 60% in some member states. The EIB's lending capacity should be multiplied by 4 and invested in European projects for sustainable development, particularly in countries in difficulty. There must be democratic control over the attribution and use of these funds.

Brussels, 19/12/2013 According to a recent report by the European Commission, the pay gap between women and men in the European Union continues to remain. ETUC express its disappointment at the lack of ambition from the commission, and its unwillingness to undertake concrete measures to fight the gender pay gap. The findings of the report are alarming. Despite a slight weak downward trend, in recent years, the gender pay gap exists at various levels in all 28 Member States. For example, on average, women also work 59 days unpaid per year.

Brussels, 18/12/2013

Brussels, 18/12/2013 As EU leaders prepare to gather in Brussels for their end of year summit, they continue to undermine the European project by prolonging the financial and social crisis and alienating millions of people across the union. Speaking ahead of the summit on 18 December, ETUC Secretary General, Bernadette Ségol, announced that a European trade union demonstration will take place in Brussels on 4 April 2014, as the European Parliament prepares to elect new members.

Brussels, 17/12/2013 Migrant workers continue to face uncertainty in the labour market ahead of national workers; with evidence of wage discrimination, social dumping, and lower opportunities in the access to market. Some employers are also taking advantage of the economic crisis with cases of abuse and exploitation (especially in the agriculture and construction sectors).

Brussels, 13/12/2013 The European Commission has today (13 December) issued its proposals for best practices for reducing the social impact of restructuring, which offers guidelines for stakeholder on how best to minimise the effect of restructuring. However, the ETUC says that the time for inactivity is over. Reacting to today’s announcement, the ETUC says “we have had enough evaluations of best practices – it’s time for political action”.

Speech given by Bernadette Ségol, General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) Check against delivery President and friends, It gives me great pleasure to be with you today. It really does.

Brussels, 10/12/2013 Unfortunately the agreement reached in the council does not set this key principle with the necessary legal clarity. The list of control measures must be open. Contractors in any country must be responsible for enforcing conditions set by law or collective agreements (chain liability) on subcontractors. Problems are particularly acute in the construction sector, but not limited to it. The ETUC will continue to demand a compulsory joint and several liability covering all sectors.

Brussels, 06/12/2013

Brussels, 06/12/2013 Labour ministers will meet on 9 and 10 December to discuss the Enforcement Directive of the Posting of Workers Directive as part of the Employment, Social Affairs, Health and Consumer Affairs (EPSCO) Council. In a letter to the responsible ministers, ETUC Secretary General Bernadette Ségol asks EU governments to respect the rights of workers and end social dumping in Europe.

Brussels, 29/11/2013 The report was adopted on 28 November in Vienna and presented at a conference of lawyers from across Europe. The European Commission and the European Central Bank are, due to their involvement in the troika, breaching the primary law of the EU, since the Treaty of Lisbon also includes the Charter of Fundamental Rights.

Brussels, 25/11/2013 This “next generation” free trade agreement will include a controversial and unnecessary investor-to-state dispute settlement process (ISDS). In spite of the 18 October EU-Canada deal, negotiations on investment protection and ISDS continue.

Stockholm, 15/11/2013 Check against delivery President, Friends, Thank you for giving me the floor. I bring you the greetings of the European Trade Union Confederation. I would like to take this opportunity to talk to you about our main concerns, our main issues, our main priorities. You will not be surprised if I start by a few words about the crisis we have and are still going through.