A giant, too-big-to-miss message for EU leaders has been erected in Rond Point Schuman for the EU Summit on June 27, which is due to decide who to nominate as new President of the European Commission.   Asking ‘Who will lead Europe?’ the message reminds leaders that there are 26 million unemployed in Europe and urges EU leaders to invest in growth and jobs.   Bernadette Ségol, General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation, speaking at the unveiling of the message opposite the Summit venue said    

Commenting on the European Commission’s proposals for its deregulatory programme (REFIT), Veronica Nilsson of the European Trade Union Confederation, said “The Commission is boasting that they are making EU law lighter, simpler and less costly, but for whom? Pregnant workers that will see the proposal for a  maternity protection directive withdrawn? Or hairdressers that are denied occupational safety and health protection? Why does not the Commission look at the cost to society of not having adequate health and safety legislation in place?

Reacting to the news that the European Commission is to investigate tax deals made by Apple, Starbucks and Fiat with national tax authorities, Bernadette Ségol, General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation said: “A clamp down on tax avoidance by multinational companies is long overdue. It is immoral of multinationals to avoid tax at a time when citizens are paying the price for the crisis.  As Commissioner Almunia rightly said, multinationals must pay their fair share.”

Commenting on the European Commission’s ‘Framework on Health and Safety at Work’ which was issued today, Józef Niemiec, Deputy General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), said “The ETUC has been waiting for years for this Health and Safety Strategy, and we are disappointed it is weak and insubstantial. It contains no concrete proposal for action, and no specific improvements to health and safety.”

Joint video interview on TTIP by Bernadette Ségol, ETUC General Secretary & Richard Trumka, AFL-CIO President

The ILO, the UN agency, in its World Social Protection Report 2014/15 (whose recommendations are based on consensus among governments, employers and workers’ organisations), has found that “poverty and social exclusion, now affecting 123 million people in the European Union, 24 per cent of the population, many of them children, women, older persons and persons with disabilities. The cost of adjustment has been passed on to populations, who have been coping with fewer jobs and lower income for more than five years.

Speech given by Bernadette Ségol, General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation OPZZ Congress [Check against delivery]     I bring you warm and fraternal greetings from the workers of Europe.  I am very glad to share with you a special moment in the life of OPZZ:  your congress and your 30th anniversary.  Happy birthday.  Sto lat.  

Commenting on the European elections, European Trade Union Confederation General Secretary Bernadette Ségol said “The voters have sent a warning to all mainstream and governing parties. European citizens are fed up with unemployment, austerity and falling living standards.”  

Leaders of the American Federation of Labor – Congress of Industrial Organizations and the European Trade Union Confederation today called for a “gold standard” EU-US trade deal that improves living and working conditions on both sides of the Atlantic As part of meetings today in Berlin, representatives from the AFL-CIO and ETUC concluded that increasing transatlantic trade could create new jobs and share prosperity, but must be done in a way that helps all working people.

Speech given by Bernadette Ségol, ETUC General Secretary DGB Congress in Berlin Check against delivery   Ladies and Gentlemen, I would first like to congratulate you on electing Reiner Hoffmann as Chairman of the German Trade Union Confederation.

Commenting on the coal mine disaster in Soma, Turkey, where over 200 miners are believed to have lost their lives, Bernadette Ségol, General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation, said: “My heart goes out to the miners and their families. They have suffered a devastating loss of life. My thoughts are also with the efforts of the rescue and emergency services to save lives.”

100 BEST PRACTICES FOR GENDER EQUALITY AT WORK   A ‘toolkit’ of initiatives to promote gender equality is launched today in Madrid in a joint initiative by European employers and trade union organisations.   About 100 initiatives from 25 European countries are contained in the online toolkit accessible via: WWW.ERC-ONLINE.EU/GENDERTOOLKIT It will be finalised by the EU social partners in the coming weeks. The initiatives include:

Discorso pronunciato da Bernadette Ségol, Segretaria generale della CES Congresso della CGIL Fa fede solo il discorso pronunciato   Presidente, Cara Susanna, Care compagne, Cari compagni   Vi porto il caloroso e fraterno saluto dei lavoratori di tutta Europa. Sono felice di condividere con voi questo momento forte e importante della vita della CGIL: il vostro Congresso nazionale.