13 & 14 March 2013

The Steering Committee, a smaller body, is responsible for following up the decisions of the Executive Committee between its sessions. It meets eight times a year and is composed of 21 elected members from the Executive Committee. The Steering Committee, a smaller body, is responsible for following up the decisions of the Executive Committee between its sessions. It meets eight times a year and is composed of 21 elected members from the Executive Committee.

At its 12th Congress in Athens, Greece, in May 2011, the ETUC adopted a Manifesto for action over the coming four years. During the Congress, the central issue for European trade unions has been the effect of the financial and the more general policy of austerity which are exerting downward pressure on pay, public services, social security, pensions, and labour and living standards. The ETUC is alarmed at the negative consequences of the bailouts of economies in distress. The austerity measures imposed have made the situation worse.

Brussels, 24/01/2011 There was wide agreement on the need to urgently meet the Prime Minister of Hungary (and current President of the EU) to discuss the crisis and Europe’s response to it, along with the threat to Social Europe, the public sector and workers rights posed by the austerity and other measures in the EU. The ETUC will keep in close touch with the unions and plan further activities in Hungary.

Here you will find press releases on your selected topic Here you will find press releases on your selected topic

In October 2007, European leaders reached agreement on the Lisbon Treaty for reform of the EU. ETUC was pleased to see the end of the institutional paralysis that had gripped the EU since the French and Dutch referenda of 2005, but was deeply disappointed by the uninspiring content of the final text.

Brussels, 01-02/12/2009 {{ }}1. On 1st December 2009, the new Lisbon Treaty came into force. The new Treaty is a better one than the current provisions of the Nice Treaty but it does little to advance social progress.

Brussels, 05/11/2009 This advance is an encouragement in our continuing campaign to ensure a proper interpretation of the Treaty’s internal market provisions and against the unbalanced rulings of the European Court of Justice in the Laval, Viking, Rüffert and Luxemburg cases.

Brussels, 10/07/2009 Mr Monks will say “(…) the ETUC supports ratification of the Lisbon Treaty and I hope the Irish people approve it. (….) it is a step forward compared to existing provisions, for example in relation to the legal enforcement of the Charter of Fundamental Rights, commitments to full employment, the social market economy, and public services.”

Brussels, 07/07/2009 The ETUC regrets that the social dimension of Europe does not seem to be amongst the priorities of the Swedish Presidency. John Monks, ETUC General Secretary, declared: ‘In our view, the European Union should be sending a clear signal of understanding and action regarding the most pressing concerns of European workers in a moment of rising unemployment’.

Brussels, 28/01/2009

Bruxelles, 28/01/2009 The Czech Republic took up the Presidency of the European Union during a period of unprecedented crisis, which was quickly followed by a wave of redundancies and restructuring plans. To cope effectively with the social consequences of this crisis that threatens to place ever greater numbers of workers in a situation of employment insecurity and carries the political risk of encouraging nationalism, an ETUC delegation submitted a number of proposals to the Czech prime minister during their meeting in Prague on 28 January.

Brussels, 01/09/2008

Brussels, 30/06/2008 The social dimension will depend very much on the concrete legislative proposals of the New Social Agenda to be announced on Wednesday which should be progressive unlike the unfortunate political agreement on working time. The ETUC expects the French Presidency to take up the widespread unease within Europe amongst citizens and workers; and to this end, a social progress protocol added to the treaties at the next revision would be an important step forwards.