Dear readers,
Our latest edition of Workers’ Voice National Updates picks out some interesting examples of how trade union collective bargaining with employers at local and national level achieves real benefits for workers and promotes more equal working conditions across the EU. Every three months we highlight just a few examples of how unions in Europe are cooperating across borders and working constructively with employers, governments and civil society organisations to foster social progress and justice.
The adoption of Council Conclusions on The changing world of work: reflections on new forms of work and implications for the safety and health of workers at today’s EPSCO meeting establishes a good foundation for the incoming European Commission to work on, commented the ETUC’s newly elected Deputy General Secretary Per Hilmersson.
In advance of tomorrow’s (Thursday 13 June) adoption of the Work-Life Balance Directive by the EU Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO), the ETUC calls on Member States to take urgent action to transpose into law and implement these new rights for working families.
“This is the first legislative advance to come out of the European Pillar of Social Rights, and it is crucial to demonstrate to EU citizens that it will mean real improvements in their lives,” said ETUC Deputy General Secretary Esther Lynch.
Commenting on today’s economic policy recommendations (‘country specific recommendations’) by the European Commission, Luca Visentini, General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) said
“Although the Commission seems to be over-optimistic on investment and employment recovery in Europe, there is a clear shift in economic policy recommendations in favour of investment, social dialogue, education and training and social protection. This is much-needed, somewhat overdue and needs to be continued in future years.”
Democratic political parties forming a new coalition in the European Parliament to exclude the far-right “must put a renewed Social Contract for Europe at the heart of their programme including for the appointment of the new European Commission President and Commissioners” said Luca Visentini, re-elected General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC).
Leaders of Europe’s national trade unions today re-elected Luca Visentini as General Secretary and elected Laurent Berger as President of the European Trade Union Confederation.
They also adopted a new manifesto and action programme for 2019-23 for ‘A fairer Europe for workers’.
The ETUC Congress, meeting in Vienna, also elected
Trade unions are today – on the opening day of the European Parliamentary elections (voting opens in the Netherlands and the UK) – reminding all citizens that they should vote, and vote for candidates and parties that will work for a fairer Europe (not less Europe), democracy and social justice.
Trade union leaders are launching their call at the Congress of the European Trade Union Confederation, meeting today in Vienna and bringing together some 1,000 trade unionists from all over the European Union, the European Economic Area and EU candidate countries.
#ETUC19 Congress - Opening speech by Luca Visentini, ETUC General Secretary
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Dear comrades and friends,
Dear delegates and colleagues,
Esteemed authorities,
It’s a great pleasure to welcome all of you to the 14th Congress of the European Trade Union Confederation!
In a strong show of support for workers, civil servants and unions in central government, the Congress of the European Trade Union Confederation branded as unacceptable the attempts of the Commission to reject a social partner agreement.
Today, the opening day of ETUC Congress – the largest European gathering of national trade union leaders for four years – ETUC General Secretary Luca Visentini will thank outgoing European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker for rescuing ‘social Europe’, and discuss with Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa the need for a renewed social contract for Europe.
