Commenting on the EU signing today the Istanbul Convention on violence against women, ETUC Confederal Secretary Montserrat Mir said “Trade unions are strongly committed to ending violence against women in work, and to do all that is possible at work to tackle domestic violence against women. Only yesterday the European Trade Union Confederation published a report on how trade unions can help to prevent, manage and eliminate violence against women. Collective agreements between unions and employers can make a big contribution to dealing with violence against women.

The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) today condemned the European Commission’s proposal to restrict the right to strike in air traffic control.   It demanded that the Commission removes all references to restricting the right to strike from its initiative on “Aviation: open and connected Europe” published on June 8.   The Commission proposal included

The gender pension gap could be getting wider due to the increasing importance of private (complementary) pension schemes, and their failure to credit women for periods of maternity and parental leave (or other types of care leave). The difference in pension payments for men and women across the EU is 40%, according to the most recent study which was carried out four years ago (in 2013). A survey of 44 trade unions in 29 countries published today by the European Trade Union Confederation shows that

ILC – ILO – Geneva, 9 June 2017 Speech of Luca Visentini – General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY   Thank you chair. Ladies and gentlemen,   The Report of the ILO Director General this year addresses climate change, while another report analyses the labour migration. They could seem two completely different topics, but they are not.

Commenting on the attack in London, ETUC General Secretary Luca Visentini said   "The ETUC is appalled by this vicious and senseless attack. We are in solidarity with London, and our hearts go out to the victims, their families and loved ones.   "We salute the security, medical and other workers dealing with this cowardly attack.   "European countries must stand together against terrorism, we must not be intimidated."

Commenting on the withdrawal of the USA from the Paris Climate agreement, ETUC General Secretary Luca Visentini said “There are no jobs on a dead planet.”

Dear Readers, 
 
 We have just published the May 2017 edition of the ETUC Newsletter. 
 
 To read the document, please click here. 
 
 Enjoy! 

Over 400 trade union leaders from all over Europe at the ETUC Mid-term Conference in Rome today agreed that "this is the moment for trade unions to be more active than ever in efforts to manage globalisation, digitalisation and climate action to ensure that working people are not left on the scrap heap".

ETUC Mid-term Conference Dear friends, Comrades, Buongiorno a tutte e tutti ! Welcome to this mid-term conference, which is intended to help us to get our heads up, look back over the road we have travelled, and to consolidate our positions in order to reach the goals we have set ourselves.

Responding to the European Commission’s legislative proposal on public country-by-country reporting (CBCR) by multinationals due to be voted on the ECON and JURI committees at the European Parliament on 30 May, the European Trade Union Confederation and civil society organisations urge the European Parliament to extend transparency to company activities in all countries on a worldwide basis.   

ETUC General Secretary Luca Visentini said  "I am horrified by the loss of life and injuries in Manchester last night. The thoughts of the European trade union movement are with the victims and their loved ones. "We are grateful as ever to the emergency workers dealing with the aftermath of this horrific incident."

Commenting on the ‘country specific reports’ issued by the European Commission today, ETUC Deputy General Secretary Katja Lehto Komulainen said  “It is progress that the European Commission is calling for more public investment and higher wages in some countries including Germany. It is very damaging for the Commission to be pressing again for yet more austerity and budget cuts in other countries, and to limit pay rises and increased public investment to countries with budget surpluses is a real missed opportunity.