Brussels, 30/04/2012
For the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), employment, and especially youth employment, is a top priority. Today, 24 million Europeans are jobless (Eurostat), among them 5.5 million young people. This 1st May is also an opportunity for the ETUC to denounce the escalation of insecure employment in the labour market. Atypical employment contracts are increasing and particularly affect young people. Insecure work often goes hand in hand with low pay and poverty, and keeps young people from making plans for their future while seriously slowing economic recovery.
The ETUC continues to denounce the implementation of austerity policies that exacerbate unemployment, inequality and social exclusion. ETUC General Secretary Bernadette Ségol declared:"Making jobs insecure, and especially jobs for young people, is not a solution to the crisis. Flexible employment contracts and low salaries do not pave the way to growth. The ETUC recommends an economic recovery plan that supports quality employment. In the face of populism, it is vital to build a Europe of solidarity."