Adopted at the Executive Committee Meeting of 2-3 July 2020

Brussels, 6 July 2020 ETUC position on the New Industrial Strategy for Europe Adopted at the ETUC Executive Committee of 2 July 2020 Summary of key messages

Brussels, 2nd July 2020 Adopted by ETUCE Bureau on 23 June, 2020  Adopted at the ETUC Executive Committee on 2 July, 2020  

Brussels, 2nd July 2020 Adopted by ETUCE Bureau on 23 June, 2020 Adopted at the ETUC Executive Committee on 2 July, 2020

Brussels, 24 June 2020 To Executive Committee To Economic Committee To TUSLOs For information to ETUC Member Organisations Dear Colleagues,

Time is running out: Concrete and rapid actions needed to enforce rights to worker involvement in anticipating and managing the COVID-19 crisis impact Three months after the COVID-19 health crisis hit the world and thousands lost their lives, the European Union is now facing massive restructuring processes in different sectors. Social dialogue, collective bargaining and worker involvement in the workplace are key to shape responsible restructuring processes.

Introduction of the European Social Partners Framework Agreement on Digitalisation Esther Lynch, Deputy General Secretary On the occasion of the signing of the Agreement at the Tripartite Social Summit, 23rd June 2020

Dear colleagues, I would like to thank all of you for having made this virtual meeting of the TSS possible in the current difficult circumstances. This is a significant opportunity for social partners to contribute to the management of the emergency, to the return to work and to the implementation of the recovery strategies. The COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences, if not properly and timely addressed, are at risk of generating economic recession, massive unemployment, deterioration of working conditions and rights, increased inequality and social exclusion.

Madam President of the Commission, Mr President of the Council, Mr Prime Minister, Honorable commissioners and ministers Dear Colleagues, Let me first remind you that the ETUC and the trade union organizations in Europe have called for an ambitious and large-scale recovery plan to respond to this unprecedented crisis that we will have to face. The Next Generation EU proposal responds to this request and we welcome it. Now it is necessary that this proposal be approved quickly so that the various measures can be deployed quickly.

The digital transformation of the economy is a multifaceted topic with large implications for labour markets, the world of work and society at large. It is dealt with in a variety of ways by EU member states, due to different social and economic situations, labour markets and industrial relations systems and existing initiatives, practices and collective agreements.

Brussels, 19 June 2020 Adopted at the Extraordinary Executive Committee meeting of 9 June 2020 ETUC Resolution on the EU recovery strategy after the COVID-19 outbreak The context Europe is facing the worst recession since the 1930s, following the worst pandemic in the last hundred years.

Brussels, 16 June 2020 Adopted at the Extraordinary Executive Committee meeting of 9 June 

Letter sent to Mr. Thomas Myrup Kristensen, Facebook Managing Director EU Affairs, Head of Office and Mrs. Marisa Jimenez Martin, Director of Facebook Public Policy and Head of Eu Affairs Dear Ms Martin

Adopted at the Executive Committee Meeting of 9 June 2020 The social impact of the COVID-19 crisis makes it necessary to substantially amend the Commission proposal on revised Employment Guidelines

Brussels 11 June 2020 ETUC resolution on European Green Deal initiatives: Climate Law, EU Sustainable Investment Plan, Just Transition Fund Regulation and new EU Industrial Strategy Adopted at the ETUC Executive Committee of 9 June 2020 Summary of key messages

Reinforced Youth Guarantee, Revisited fight against youth unemployment  This resolution adopted by ETUC Youth on 2nd June 2020 aims at providing an analysis of the current scheme based on ETUC members’ experience as well as recommendations for further steps to reinforce the Youth Guarantee, also in the view of the new urgencies caused by the pandemic.  

Measures fall short of protecting posted workers in the outbreak of COVID-19 Posted workers in the EU face particular challenges in view of the COVID-19 outbreak and the measures imposed, not only in terms of border restrictions on the free movement of workers and services, but also in terms of emergency measures introduced to mitigate and protect workers and businesses from negative consequences of the crisis. Posted workers are at particular risk of being left behind.

On 13 May 2020, the European Commission issued a Communication on a phased and coordinated approach for restoring freedom of movement and lifting internal border controls. This guidance document is complemented by specific Guidelines on the progressive restoration of transport services and connectivity.

LGBT workers still suffer from discrimination in the world of work and in the society due to their sexual orientation. In times of Covid, as in other crises, these rights are even more under threat, due to lack of legislative protection and underrepresentation in workplaces and society in general.

Economic and social policies to date have focused excessively on fiscal discipline rather than on public investment in health and care, this crisis clearly showing that this was to the detriment of the people in general.  This fiscal discipline focused on austerity, cuts and privatisation; as a result, aging was seen as a cost on the country’s budget and financing of the health sector dwindled. ETUC has been denouncing the weakness of the health care systems in Europe for many years. 

The ETUC Women’s Committee stands beside women from across Europe who are fighting to fulfil their rights to safe, legal and fully comprehensive reproductive healthcare. The ETUC Women’s Committee particularly supports Polish women who are protesting against a bill, submitted through the citizens’ initiative which aims to introduce a full ban on abortion. The bill is currently being discussed in the Polish Parliament.

Trade Unions are always here continuing to fight for… This year we celebrate a Labour Day out of the norm. Generally, thousands of workers would have taken to the streets to celebrate this day, but, this year, this will not be possible due to the current COVID-19 crisis.

28/04/2020 : Letter to the European Commission on the Youth Guarantee  Dear President von der Leyen, Dear Commissioner Schmit, In recent weeks every aspect of our life as we know it has been turned around. The European Union is once again under scrutiny and we are under strong pressure to demonstrate to the citizens that it can offer strategies on how to overcome the consequences of the pandemic.

The ETUC to make access of companies to EU and national public funding during and after the COVID-19 outbreak conditional to the respect of tax obligations and workers’ rights Member States are providing direct public support to companies facing the COVID-19 outbreak. The European Union has pledged many different financial instruments to assist the Member States in their action to support economic activities of companies and provide income replacement to workers.

The COVID-19 outbreak has shown us how vulnerable we are to an epidemic, and how devastating the effects can be: on life, on health, on society, on our economy.  It has demonstrated very clearly the importance of protecting working people (and all people) from disease, especially at the workplace.