To be checked against delivery

Greetings from the European Trade Union Confederation which represents trade unions from Iceland to Turkey, Finland to Portugal.

Slide 1 - Map of Europe

The motive force for the formation of the ETUC in 1973 was the formation of the European Union.

This is an expanding union of - currently - 25 countries. The member nations give some functions to the European level - in particular, internal market, trade negotiations, competition policy and, for 12 countries, the euro. The nation states keep some functions - for example, foreign policy, taxation. And the EU shares some functions - notably for our purpose today - social and employment policy.

The EU is unique. It’s not a nation state, it’s not a federal state like the United States, it’s not NAFTA, (it’s not just a free trade zone).

It’s an adventure, an experiment to bury the past and build a brighter future. The past is the old, competitive, war-like nations which, in the 20th century, made Europe the world’s bloodiest continent, drawing in the USA and others. The many beautifully maintained military cemeteries across the continent movingly remind us of the cost of Europe’s divisions to America.

And for the future - in a world of superpowers- the USA, of course, but with China, Russia, India, and, perhaps, Brazil and Indonesia on the way - it’s an attempt to forge a unity in this region which will make us count for more together than we do individually.

The European Union, so far, is more economic than political. There are big differences between member states about many things, especially the political dimension. France, for example, would like to see Europe become a great and independent political and military power reflecting our economic importance - not just a loyal supporter of the USA. Britain takes the opposite view - that Europe must always keep close to your country as Britain itself nearly always does. This tension lay at the heart of the bitter arguments in Europe about the invasion of Iraq.

I confess - I am a federalist and, rather like Jefferson, Franklin and the other founding fathers of America, I dream of a United States of Europe for the future, but I don’t expect to see it in my lifetime. Perhaps the kids will.

This is a presentation on trade unionism, not geopolitics, but I thought a quick scene set was useful.

Slide 2 - The European Social Model

The EU has a social model, a trade union friendly style. All the countries value

welfare states, very generous compared to the USA.
Public services - ie. services not delivered under the pressure of profits and shareholder value, but by public servants paid out of taxes.
Social dialogue - euro jargon for saying that economies and labour markets need to be run in consultation with trade unions and that trade unions and collective bargaining are central to society.

There are wide variations between different countries. The British Government sometimes use these differences to argue that there is no such thing as Social Europe, merely a collection of separate social systems.

But remember, all European states, including Britain, value:- welfare states

 public services

 trade unions

even if the valuation varies. At one level this is reassuring average trade union membership is around 30% of the total workforces.

 collective bargaining coverage is 70%

 labour laws are firmly on the side of trade union power - with extensive rights to strike, rights of access to business premises, protection of union officials.

And in some countries, unions administer the social security system - they have the highest memberships.

The ETUC, with employers, has negotiated new laws on health and safety, information and consultation, European Works Councils, part-time and fixed term worker protection, protection of the terms of privatised workers - working time - a long and growing list.

For the ICFTU, - the world AFL-CIO - Europe’s trade unions make up 70% of those who pay to support the organisation. It is a similar proportion in the international trade secretariats. The USA is the world no. 1 in many areas but Europe is the trade union superpower, although I can’t claim that it acts as one as often as I would like.

But there are worrying signs.

Slide 3 - Membership Density

membership trends in every European country are down, some by a lot, some marginally, but nearly everywhere is red ink.
Jobs are emigrating especially manufacturing jobs - mainly to China - a familiar story to Americans.
American business methods are eating into Europe. Chicago economics and Republican values are exported through multinational companies and business schools with evangelical fervour. The American lobby in Brussels is asking-why take unions so seriously when their most natural territory - manufacturing - is declining.
Sluggish economic growth and high unemployment, compared to the USA and others, make this a seductive argument to many in the political world.
And there is a sociological shift - a smaller working class with its sense of solidarity and a bigger middle class who are more self help minded, individualistic, well educated and mobile.

We are having victories. We stopped the Services Directive last week - a crude move to free up services across the 25 countries based on the lowest standards. That was two days after an ETUC demonstration where we had about 80,000 European trade unionists present.

We have powerful allies politically - which we exploit - but we have to be on the alert and, very much like in the States, we too must organise more members and more influence on companies. We are weak on their behaviour outside Europe - BMW, Rolls Royce, Group 4.

Slide 4 - Relevance for American Labour?

I am following closely the debate launched by the SEIU on the future of the American trade union Movement. From a European perspective, when trade unions are an endangered species in parts of the USA, this affects us all. The neo-liberal ideology, born in the USA, is potent and affects our debates.

We need a strong US labour movement. We very much agree on that and want to help in any way we can.

How to do it is not simple.
From my experience in both Britain and the EU, there is not one answer but a combination. Here are my proposals:

Organise for sure. We have been complacent for far too long. The SEIU has been a model over here as well as in the United States. Andy and others have been generous in spreading the message with their time and resources.
Value and sustain good relationships. Treating every employer as a total bastard out to screw us is not an attractive option to the well educated college kids who now make up a large slice of the working population. And it redoubles employer hostility to union organisation. Many are bastards but some differentiation is important.
Influence public policy. God knows, you all tried hard in the AFL-CIO to get Kerry elected but you need a political climate more favourable to labour. If you have the political world hostile as well as employers ranged against you, that’s a powerful combination. There must be political pressure on employers to deal constructively with unions. How to get that - and a more hostile climate to business should be a massive priority.
Amalgamations between unions certainly can help avoid inter-union problems and build organising strength but they may not always do so. European experience is mixed. Sometimes the resulting costs and the political infighting have absorbed too much energy, and the unions become introspective, at least for a period. Mergers have to be done well and concluded quickly, not always easy when merging democracies.
Finally, and here I tread on dangerous ground, division between unions leads to inter-union conflict from which no-one wins. I see it in France where trade unions membership is below the USA level. I have experienced it in the UK where I used to spend 30% of my time holding the unions together - and the TUC. Students of American history know that civil wars are the bloodiest and cruellest. The same holds good in trade union terms. The only winners are the employers who divide and rule. I have heard of amicable divorces but I haven’t seen many. I never want to see unions looking like companies scrambling after market share. That’s not our culture. Our way is seeking our ideals of a better society and of solidarity, supported by good deals hard-edged, campaigns, and good services.

I speak to you as a good and candid friend of American labour and of the SEIU. I speak too on the basis of my views and experiences. I hope you manage to forge revitalisation and unity in the months ahead. Do not set people against you. Take them with you. It is frustrating but you will get there faster, easier in the end.