Brussels, 16/06/2009
At a meeting today with Mr Barroso, President of the European Commission, John Monks, ETUC General Secretary said: ‘The key principle of European trade unions is to ensure that the fundamental rights of workers are above the market and competition law and not subordinated to them. We had hoped that this had been understood by the European Council last December. However, we do not see this priority reflected in the draft to be discussed at European Summit. Peoples’ social anxieties will increase further if the European Council does not act decisively.’
The European Union needs a robust social agenda to defend employment and promote social justice and solidarity as a protection against the excesses of financial capitalism. The question of regulation must also be high in the EU agenda: ETUC wants European leadership towards a European social union with more co-ordination on fiscal policy. The outcome of the European elections showed that workers must not be left behind.
The ETUC has written to the Czech Presidency, and the heads of state and governments urging them to act boldly in favour of a Social Europe (see Annex).
Annex
To read the letter to the Czech Presidency, and the heads of state and governments, please click on icon below.