ETUC hails victory over Bolkestein and calls for "Yes" votes on the Constitution
After the impressive ETUC demonstration on March 19 which attracted more than 75,000 people to the streets of Brussels, after the EU Social Summit yesterday, EU leaders last night agreed to fundamental revisions of the Services Directive in relation to services of general interest and social dumping. This follows on the successful ETUC campaign to secure more flexibility in the coordination done by the Stability and Growth Pact
John Monks, General Secretary of the ETUC, strongly welcomed these moves and said:
“This is a victory for the ETUC, but a victory in a battle, not a war. The need now is to ensure that any new services directive is based on high standards, and is not designed to lower terms and conditions of employment, and undermine public services.
“The EU’s decisions on the Services Directive and the Stability and Growth Pact show that neo-liberalism can be stopped, that Social Europe has powerful allies, and that trade unions can win in Europe.
“It also reinforces the case for a ‘yes’ vote in the EU constitution. There never was a link between ‘Bolkestein’ and the constitution. They were not the same thing. The constitution stands on its own and is the most pro-Social Europe treaty that Europe has ever had”.
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