To be checked against delivery

Next week the leaders of Europe - the Prime Ministers and Presidents arrive in their limousines to debate the future of Europe. So we have called you to Brussels today so that the leaders of Europe can hear our voice.

• our voice for more and better jobs • for decisive action against the Bolkestein Directive • and for social Europe.

We don’t want Europe to become America. We don’t want weaker welfare states, worse pensions, work until you drop, weak unions, more privatisation and more de-regulations.

We do want

an end to the misery and waste of high unemployment. That’s what the Lisbon strategy should focus on; jobs, good jobs, more jobs.

We want

hope, equality and opportunity, not dead end, discriminatory precarious work.

We want strong trade unions and effective social dialogue, not business friendly policies in the interests of shareholders.

We want a clean environment not pandering to business lobbies and executive bonuses.

Profits in Europe are running at record levels. Yet investment needs are low and research budgets are low. Everyone needs more sustainable jobs to high skill jobs set up, jobs of the future. The fat cats of the oil companies, the food companies and the rest should not be licking up all the cream while some plan their next delocalisation to cheap labour, low taxation countries.

Everyone needs a strong, competent Commission, tough with member states, tough with greedy big business, prepared to champion welfare states and social dialogue. We don’t want a Commission, which, in the words of one commissioner, says different things out of different sides of its mouth.

And we don’t want Bolkestein - that Frankenstein of a Services Directive, a Directive which will, if passed, start a race to the bottom, pulling down wages, conditions and public services instead of building a Europe of high standards. We say no to a Europe of cheap standards. Not a rush by companies to the country with the lowest costs and lowest standards.

I call today on the Commission to withdraw the current text, throw it in the waste paper basket and start again. Put Bolkestein’s Frankenstein back into cold storage and start listening to the people of Europe.

This is a great battle in a war against the neo-liberals who want to bury social Europe.

We won’t let them. Europe is not their Europe. It’s our Europe.