Speech given by Bernadette Ségol, General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation
[Check against delivery]
Ladies and gentlemen, colleagues and friends, Brendan,
It’s an honour for me to be invited to deliver this lecture, commemorating Sir Pat Lowry: well-known as a former Chair of ACAS.
In its first judgement on the Directive on temporary agency work (C-533/13 AKT ), published today, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) gave its interpretation of Article 4 of the Directive.
“We welcome our colleagues from Montenegro and FYRO Macedonia into the European trade union movement” said Bernadette Ségol, General Secretary of the ETUC, “and will work with CTUM, UFTUM and FTUM to improve working conditions for all people in Montenegro and FYRO Macedonia, and to ensure the full adoption of EU social and trade union rights on the way to full EU membership. The destiny of the people of Montenegro and FYRO Macedonia and of the EU is together.”
Luca Visentini is the proposed successor to Bernadette Ségol as General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation.
A meeting of the ETUC’s Executive Committee voted the 46 year old current Confederal Secretary of the ETUC as ‘General Secretary Designate’, subject to final decision by ETUC Congress in October in Paris.*
European trade unionists today made a united call for tax justice, and demanded new national and European actions to end to tax evasion and avoidance, tax havens and aggressive tax planning.
EU Governments must break a 7 year impasse and agree 18 weeks minimum paid maternity leave says the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC).
To mark International Women’s Day the ETUC is
• Highlighting the need to raise European maternity leave rights to international standards, and
• Urging EU Governments to reach agreement on a proposal that has been blocked since 2008!
European trade unions are ready and willing to give social dialogue a new start, and will participate actively in the High Level Conference on Social Dialogue on March 5*.
“Social dialogue is in need of a new start” said Bernadette Ségol, Secretary General of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC). “There needs to be more concrete results and better implementation at European level. At the same time, national social dialogue needs to be repaired from the damage caused by ‘structural reforms’ and other EU and national policies adopted since the crisis.”
The European Commission’s Energy Union package is ambitious and broad-ranging, says the European Trade Union Confederation, but its ‘action points’ lack detail on how it will be achieved.
The ETUC welcomes the inclusion in the Energy Union package of references to:
ETUC General Secretary Bernadette Ségol today said Germany was “playing with fire” in rejecting the new Greek Government’s compromise proposal for an its extension of its bailout.
“Germany is demanding unconditional surrender from proud people that has elected a new Government on a crystal clear platform of easing austerity.”
“There needs to be a deal and for that all sides need to compromise. German is playing hardball but is playing with fire.”
“Tomorrow’s Eurozone Finance Ministers meeting needs to be more realistic.”
The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) is calling on EU Finance Ministers meeting tomorrow to back and boost an ambitious investment plan for Europe.
The Ministers are due to discuss the Juncker investment plan of €315bn over the next three years.
The ETUC strongly supports investment as a means to create demand, growth and jobs, and calls on Finance Ministers to
