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The Voice of Workers in Europe

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The Voice of Workers in Europe The voice of workers in Europe European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) Confédération européenne des syndicats (CES) 1. THE ETUC’S ObJECTIVES he European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) European enlargement, increasingly interdependent unites trade unions at European level. Its aim is to economies, growing worker mobility, and developments T put Social Europe at the heart of Europe’s political surrounding energy and climate change have drastically priorities. It is active in key areas for the world of work in altered the context in which European trade unions op- the European Union (EU) and beyond. erate. European countries face common problems and The ETUC defends fundamental social values such as challenges, and for that reason, joint European action is solidarity, equality and cohesion. It pursues good quality more and more vital. To preserve collective bargaining work, equal treatment for all, social protection and inclu- power and work for a more equitable and just society, sion and decent living standards. The European trade un- trade unions must speak with one voice and coordinate ion movement opposes all forms of exclusion and social activities at European level. injustice and insists on the need to consult and inform To this end, the ETUC has different tools at its disposal: workers on issues that affect their professional and day- European social dialogue, pressure on European deci- to-day lives. sion-makers to infl uence EU legislation, and large-scale mobilisations. The voice of workers in Europe 2. THE ETUC’S PRIORITIES: MORE EUROPE… MORE SOCIAL EUROPE he ETUC works for a European Union with a strong • The right to services of general interest, accessible to social dimension, which prioritises the interests and all; T well being of working men and women, promotes • European standards that harmonise national social leg- social justice and fights exclusion and discrimination. islation upwards and promote cohesion and fair treat- ment; This includes : • Active policies to tackle climate and energy issues; • The right to good quality jobs; • Promoting the principles of the European social model • The right to a high level of social protection; in other parts of the world. • Gender equality; • Equal opportunities for all; • Social inclusion and cohesion; • The right to health and safety at work; • The right to free movement for European workers, coupled with equal treatment and social protection; The ETUC aims to achieve a European system of industrial relations that recognises transnational trade union rights, guaranteeing a stronger role for the social partners in determining and monitoring economic, employment and social policy; and to develop trade unions’ capacity to represent working people at European and national levels. 3. THE ETUC’S ACTIVITIES he ETUC is the only social partner representing the ETUC, the Union of the Industrial Federations of the workers at European level. The Treaty of Maastricht EEC countries (UNICE) – now BusinessEurope - and the T (1992) guarantees this formal status. Together with European Centre of Enterprises with Public Participation the employers, it is involved in consultation in areas such and of Enterprises of General Economic Interest (CEEP), as employment, social affairs, macroeconomic, industrial and its subsequent incorporation into the EC Treaty, the and regional policies. The ETUC exercises real influence social partners negotiated and signed three framework on behalf of trade unions in Europe. agreements, transposed into national legislation through EU Directives: The ETUC represents workers in the framework of the European social dialogue • Parental leave (1995) • Part-time work (1997) European social dialogue exists at the heart of European • Fixed-term work (1999) Union governance. It enables the European social part- Since then, the European social partners have concluded ners to contribute significantly to defining European social a new generation of ‘autonomous’ agreements, whereby standards. Enshrined in the European treaties, it is a fun- the social partners themselves take responsibility for im- damental element of the European social model. plementing measures at national, sectoral and enterprise European social dialogue brings together around the ta- level: ble representatives from the trade union and employer • Telework (2002) organisations. It creates a framework for the discussions, • Work-related stress (2004) negotiations and joint actions undertaken by the European • Harassment and violence at work (2007) social partners. Following the 1991 agreement between The social partners have also adopted two frameworks The ETUC supports the of action: right of workers to know • Framework of actions for the development of lifelong about and influence pol- competences and qualifications (2002) icy and decision-making • Framework of actions on gender equality (2005). in companies operating in more than one EU Member State, for example through At the European sectoral social dialogue level, the social European Works Councils and information and con- partners have set up committees in 35 different industrial sultation procedures. European Works Councils are the sectors and adopted almost 500 sectoral joint texts. most advanced structures for trade union representation in multinational companies. In their second joint Work Programme (2006-2008), the European social partners have also worked together in ar- The ETUC builds Social Europe eas such as labour market policy, demographic change, by influencing EU legislation mobility, migration and undeclared work, as well as strengthening social dialogue in the newer EU Member The ETUC has an impact on EU legislation and policies States and candidate countries. This activity culminated in through direct liaison with the institutions: the European 2007 in a common position on the key challenges facing Council, European Commission and European Parlia- European labour markets. ment. * European Council and EU Presidency * European Commission Since 2001, the ETUC has taken part in the annual Under the EC Treaty, the Commission must consult the Tripartite Social Summit, held each spring to assess European social partners on all proposals on employment progress on the EU’s Lisbon Strategy for growth and jobs. and social policy in the EU. The summit brings together the European social partners, heads of government from the current and two incoming EU Presidencies, and the Commission. * European Parliament The ETUC liaises with MEPs across almost the whole po- Twice a year, meetings are held between the EU Eco- litical spectrum, specifically through the cross-party Trade nomic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN), the Euro- Union Intergroup. The EP has power of co-decision on pean Central Bank (ECB), the Commission and the social social policy legislation, so the ETUC has a vital role in partners within the framework of the Macroeconomic Dia- making representations on behalf of working people in logue (MED), established in 1998. Europe, ensuring that MEPs are aware of the trade union point of view and supplying information they would not get from other sources. The ETUC makes a difference. For example, as a Large-scale European mobilisations result of the ETUC’s detailed briefing and coopera- tion with MEPs, followed up by the demonstration in To support its demands, the ETUC also mobilises its mem- Strasbourg in 2006, the European Parliament voted bers through European demonstrations: in favour of major changes to the original draft Serv- − 13 December 2001, Euro-demonstration in Brussels in ices Directive, safeguarding workers’ rights and con- support of Social Europe and for the ETUC’s participa- ditions as well as the interests of EU consumers. tion in the Convention on the EU Constitution. − 19 March 2005, Euro-demonstration in Brussels to de- * European Court of Justice mand ‘More and better jobs’, ‘Defend Social Europe’, The ETUC devotes ever closer scrutiny to rulings by the and ‘Stop Bolkestein’. ECJ, and in particular those relating to the mobility of − 14 February 2006, Euro-demonstration in Strasbourg, workers and their fundamental rights (such as the Viking, calling for ‘Services for the people’. Laval and Rüffert cases). − 5 April 2008, Euro-demonstration in Ljubljana to de- mand higher wages and purchasing power. The ETUC also coordinates participation by national unions in several European advisory bodies, as well as These Euro-demonstrations show the strength of the Euro- the European Centre for the Development of Vocational pean trade union movement. Such massive mobilisations Training (CEDEFOP), the European Foundation for the Im- enable the ETUC to demonstrate that trade unions can provement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound), speak with a single voice and are a social force to be and the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work reckoned with. (EU-OSHA). The ETUC is an economic The ETUC is represented in the ITUC through the Pan- and political actor on the world scene European Regional Council (PERC). The PERC was for- mally established at a founding assembly in Rome, on The ETUC works with the trade union movements in coun- 19 March 2007, following a resolution adopted by the tries and regions associated with the EU, and in coop- founding congress of the ITUC in November 2006, in eration with the International Trade Union Confederation Vienna. (ITUC). Its main objective is to ensure that respect for inter- national core labour standards and frameworks for social welfare and development are
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