ETUC General Secretary, Bernadette Ségol, will be meeting President Nicolas Sarkozy, as G20 President, on 2 November. Among the questions on the ETUC’s agenda are its concerns at attacks on trade union rights in European countries as part of austerity plans as well as by “opportunistic” governments; at consequences of possible Chinese involvement in the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF); the need for concrete proposals and the consultation of trade unions in achieving the European Council’s objective of enhancing the social dimension of globalisation. Bernadette Ségol warns that, while the ETUC will continue to argue “for Europe and against a reversal to national navel gazing”, the ETUC cannot be taken for granted in the forthcoming debate about a treaty change on economic governance, insisting that “the Europe we want is one of solidarity and social progress”. She will also welcome the fact that the Commission has put the introduction of a Financial Transaction Tax firmly on the EU agenda and urge that this be pressed at the G20 also.

 Bernadette Ségol’s speech: http://www.etuc.org/a/9193

Meetings are also being arranged with Commission President José Manuel Barroso and European Council President Herman van Rompuy, among others.