For Information : 2nd of September AGRI Committee Vote on The European Forest Strategy - The Way Forward: Amendments on Working Conditions of Workers

Brussels, 1 September 2020

  • To: Members of the European Parliament Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development

Dear Members of the European Parliament Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development,

Ahead of the vote of the AGRI Committee Report on the European Forest Strategy on 2 September, we wish to express the voice of workers on behalf of the European Trade Union Confederation, the European Federation of Trade Unions in the Food, Agriculture and Tourism and the European Federation of Building and Woodworkers.

The ETUC, EFFAT and EFBWW believe due regard to workers’ rights and the social dimension is crucial in ensuring a holistic, inclusive and sustainable European Forest Strategy. Fair, safe and decent working conditions are key in promoting social progress in labour intensive sectors such as forest, wood and building industries.

For all these reasons, we would like to express our support in favour of the following amendments to the tabled Report:

Am 477: 25b.    Urges the Member States to recognise the arduous nature of jobs in forestry, construction, carpentry and cabinet-making and to establish or maintain early retirement or redundancy schemes for workers in these sectors; stresses that workers in these sectors should benefit from social and medical assistance tailored to their needs upon retirement;

Am 88: Cg.        whereas logging and the wood industry are among the most dangerous industrial sectors and have high levels of accidents at work, occupational disease and early retirement; whereas exposure to wood dust is a major health risk for the millions of workers in the wood industry, as it causes respiratory and skin diseases and is the second biggest cause of work-related cancer;

Am 98: Ci.         whereas increasing use is being made of posted workers on forest worksites; whereas the conditions in which posted workers operate on forest sites are harsh and dangerous, particularly in the case of felling; where significant social fraud is being made possible by the use of posted workers in the forestry industry;

We count on your support in tomorrow’s vote, and thank you for your consideration. We remain at your disposal for any questions regarding the conditions of workers in these sectors.

Yours sincerely,

Luca Visentini
General Secretary
European Trade Union Confederation

 

 

 

 

 

               

Tom Deleu
General Secretary
European Federation of Building and Woodworkers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kristjan Bragason
General Secretary
European Federation of Food, Agriculture and Tourism

 

 

 

 

Annex : Letter to Members of the European Parliament Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development