EU - Africa summit: the social partners must be fully involved in decision - making
On the eve of the Africa-European Union (EU) summit to be held in Lisbon on 8 and 9 December 2007, the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) is anxious to reiterate the message it sent out from the Africa-Europe Trade Union Summit (26-27/10/2007) [1] in favour of an extension of the deadline for the negotiation of the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs), and will present its declaration.
ETUC Deputy General Secretary Maria-Helena André will address the Africa-EU Summit, and will present the declaration adopted at the Africa-EU Trade Union Summit. The ETUC will be focusing on the following priorities:
the crucial importance of decent work, including the setting up or strengthening of social protection systems,
the promotion of democratic governance for a government of peace and free of corruption,
the specific recognition of the social partners as actors in economic and social development,
a common strategy on migration and development that respects human rights.
The ETUC will again be asking the Commission to extend the deadline for the EPAs (the deadline is 31 December 2007). The ETUC reaffirms the importance of making these agreements into genuine tools to serve development.
The ETUC Executive Committee, meeting on 5 and 6 December, reiterated its disapproval of the presence of the President of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, at this Summit. The ETUC had already protested about this in a letter to decision-makers in the main European institutions.
[1] Summit co-organised with the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC)
Was this article interesting and relevant for you? Do you have any comments?
You can post a reply to this article here.