General Secretary, John Monks, called on Heads of State and the European Commission not to relegate the importance of Social Europe to secondary status. That way lies dissatisfaction and despair with the very idea of Europe, a despair which is already affecting the vote in those countries which are holding referendums on the new constitution.

That means that employers, as well as the Commission and member states, should recognise the real concerns of workers and be prepared to make positive moves.

Specifically, this means making progress on revising the Working Time Directive in a manner acceptable to the ETUC and many allies in the European Parliament. We should be preparing for a decent burial of the opt out from the Working Time Directive rather than face this huge diplomatic arm-twisting from the UK in particular.

It means progress on the Temporary Agency Workers Directive and on European Works Councils.

We hear that there won’t be any directives helpful to workers. Because such directives would represent red tape, would not be business friendly, and would destroy jobs.

What must be realised is that worker and popular opinion is being alienated by this approval. Far from Europe as a worker’s friend, it is being seen ever more frequently as an enemy. That’s what an over concentration on a business friendly policies will inevitably produce.

Now we want to help the Lisbon process of restarting growth and driving for more and better jobs. We want to work together with the employers for employment and environment friendly policies. There is much to talk about. Good social policy helps change. But when subjects like restructuring and délocalisation are regarded by many as out of bounds, then constructive joint action becomes more and more difficult.

Most of all, we want a clear signal on the Services Directive.

The Commission was asked to reconsider and redraw the Services Directive so that services will not be liberalised on the basis of the lowest standards; and that we can expect new thinking, not a rehash of Mr. Bolkestein’s.

That would give some confidence to Europe’s unions that we are being listened to, that social dialogue works, and that Social Europe is alive and well and not being classified as reactionary or a force of conservatism.

That was the ETUC message to the Social Summit.

 Photo gallery