Europe is in the grip of austerity. Austerity is not only premature and a threat to recovery. Austerity, above all, is deeply unjust and contradictory: Now that public finances have been weakened after bailing out the banks and preventing the economy from spiraling into depression, markets are turning on governments.
There’s a powerful push to go for a totally ‘free’ market economy and an unprotected labour market, without much role for governments to correct market failure and undesirable market outcomes. In other words, Social Europe saved the markets but is now finding itself under major attack.
To denounce this attack on Social Europe, the ETUC will be regularly publishing an ‘austerity watch’. This ‘austerity watch’ will be based on information from ETUC affiliates and sector federations. It will document how austerity is making workers pay for the crisis.
We start this series with three notes, providing an overview of:
- Cuts affecting public sector workers across Europe.
- Reforms that reduce the level, generosity and the duration of unemployment benefit systems.
- Reforms that weaken the bargaining position of labour by downgrading collective bargaining and job protection systems.
- "Austerity in Europe" (2010)
THE ETUC REJECTS AUSTERITY
- Why the ETUC rejects Austerity
- The alternative: European Investment to grow out of National Debts
- A picture speaks a thousand words
ETUC Positions on Austerity Measures
Thematic sheets on Austerity
Press Releases
Days of Action
- Euro-demonstration 29 September 2010 :"No to austerity – Priority for jobs and growth! "
- European Day of Action 15 December 2010 : "No to Austerity for everyone and bonuses for a happy few"
- European Day of Action 24 March 2011: "No to Austerity plans in Europe"
- 9th April 2011 Budapest : Euro-demonstration - European mobilisation to say « No to austerity, for a social Europe, for jobs »
- Euro-demonstration on 21st June in Luxembourg City - Action and Information Day in Europe
ETUC video clip
ETUC launches Austerity and Bonus watches
More informations
ETUC statement on European Governance
Focus: Economic and social crisis
ETUI Working Paper “Withdrawal symptoms: an assessment of the austerity packages in Europe”
