ETUC urges European Council to adopt social progress protocol now
The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) yesterday, in its mid term conference in Paris, urged the European Council, to no longer side-track on the need to adopt an unambiguous and binding commitment to fundamental social rights in June, when discussing the guarantees to be given to Ireland ahead of its referendum on the Lisbon Treaty. A letter has been sent to all EU members heads of state and government and the Presidents of the European Commission and European Parliament.
Said John Monks, General Secretary ETUC: ’Social dialogue is an essential building block of the European model, and the fundamental rights of freedom of association, collective bargaining and collective action are indispensable for its proper functioning. Especially in this period of economic crisis, which has been caused by unfettered capitalism, it is absolutely vital that workers and their organisations can play the necessary counterbalancing role. The internal market and its free movement principles must not be used for social dumping, but lead to social progress for all, as was always intended by the European Treaties.’
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