John Monks hails transatlantic trade union renaissance
Addressing the Executive Council of the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organisations (AFL-CIO) in Miami today, European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) General Secretary, John Monks, said that trade unions on both sides of the Atlantic now have a chance to engage with renewed purpose and effect in dealing with the dire economic situation.
At the first meeting of the governing body of the United States (US) national trade union confederation since the election of President Obama, John Monks called for Europe to act in a united way and at least match US actions to revive the global economy, starting at the G20 meeting to be held in London at the beginning of April. He pointed to the resurgent role of trade unions whose ideas, starting with the dangers of financialisation, had led the way.
Separately, John Monks has written to Commission Vice-President Verheugen, in his capacity of co-Chairman of the Transatlantic Economic Council (TEC), asking that the ETUC and AFL-CIO, representing the Transatlantic Labour Dialogue, should be formally recognised in the TEC process. He said: ‘It is not acceptable for the TEC process to continue to include business but exclude labour. And it cannot be “business as usual” in the current dire economic situation.’
Further information
John Monks’ speech at the AFL-CIO Executive Council is available online on the ETUC website at: www.etuc.org/a/5908
To read the letter to Vice-President Verheugen, please click on the icon below.
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