With the European Parliament set to vote tomorrow on the controversial ‘Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership’, the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) – which calls for a ‘an EU-US trade deal that works for the people’ – sets out four big questions on what the MEPs will decide. ISDS – Will the Parliament demand no ISDS, or a reformed ISDS? The Parliament’s draft report supports Commissioner Malmström attempts to ‘reform’ ISDS, but amendments to scrap ISDS will be tabled in the Plenary vote. 

EU national Governments have a duty to deal collectively and responsibly with the humanitarian crisis in the Mediterranean – not only of people drowning at sea, but many thousands of desperate men, women and children taking any risk to reach refuge in the EU from poverty and conflict in African and the Middle East – said the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC). “The EU faces a humanitarian crisis of unknown dimensions” said Bernadette Ségol, General Secretary of the ETUC. “The EU’s response must be decisive and humanitarian.” 

Last night the car of the General Secretary of the Confederation of Trade unions of Montenegro (CTUM), Marko Nikcevic, was destroyed by a car bomb. Mr Nikcevic has been in office since November 2013 and has started a far-reaching reform of the union, including external audits. Massive financial abuse has been discovered and reported to the Prosecutor for Organised Crime.  In later March 2015 opponents of the CTUM leadership organized a putsch supported by the Ministry of Labour to oust Mr Nikcevic from office.

Commenting recent developments in creditors talks on Greece, Bernadette Ségol, General Secretary of the European trade Union Confederation (ETUC) said: “Greece has suffered enough. The EU and the IMF should not impose further pain on Greek pensioners and workers. It is beginning to look like punishment for voting for an anti-austerity government.” “There needs to be a sensible compromise. Grinding the face of the Greek people into the dirt is not the way forward.”     

The ETUC and RENGO – the European and Japanese Trade Union Confederations - believe that the strategic partnership and free trade agreements being negotiated by Japan and the EU, could stimulate growth and create jobs in the EU and Japan. The trade union confederations are united in demanding that any partnership and/or trade agreement

Dear Readers, We have just published the May 2015 edition of the ETUC Newsletter. To read the document, please click here. Enjoy!

A Partnership Agreement between CEN (European Committee for Standardization) and ETUC (European Trade Union Confederation) will serve to strengthen the representation of workers within the European Standardization System. The agreement means that ETUC has the possibility to nominate representatives who will participate in the work of CEN Technical Bodies at European level. In this way, trade unions can directly contribute to the development of European Standards relating to the health and safety of workers, the delivery of services, and other issues of relevance to employees.

Commenting on the ‘better regulation’ proposals published today, Bernadette Ségol, General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) said “I am in favour of efforts to improve legislation, but these proposals will make the legislative procedure longer, costlier and more bureaucratic.” “I do not think the European Commission will get away with restricting the right of democratically elected politicians to change legislative proposals in the name of ‘better regulation’.”

The European Commission’s Country Specific Recommendations for 2015, published today, show greater flexibility on budget deficits but is holding back growth by ignoring the need to increase wages, warned the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC).

The EU must agree the rather limited migrant relocation plan proposed today by the European Commission, said the European Trade Union Confederation. Although limited to 20,000 people, and despite possible opt-outs for some EU member states, the scale of situation in the Mediterranean makes a relocation plan absolutely necessary.

Tomorrow – Tuesday 19 May - European Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans will launch his controversial ‘better regulation’ proposals. 
 
 The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) sets out the big questions it will be asking about ‘better regulation’: 
 
 Will EU law apply equally to all? 
 A basic principle of law is that it applies to all. Will the European Commission propose to exclude small businesses from some EU regulation? 
 

EU Finance Ministers must compromise with Greece to avoid renewed financial market speculation against the Euro and against the national debt of other Eurozone countries warned the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC). “By playing hardball with Greece, EU Ministers risk triggering renewed financial market turmoil for the Euro and for Eurozone countries national debt” said Bernadette Ségol, General Secretary of the ETUC “as well as dragging the Greek economy down.”