Brussels, 21/02/2011

Brussels, 14/02/2011 - President, welcome this opportunity to become involved in the discussions which are leading to a new system of extended economic governance system in Europe. - This is a matter of the greatest importance for the future of the EU - Get it right and there is the prospect of a more highly integrated EU economy with fiscal co-ordination to match the single monetary policy of the euro area.

Dublin, 19/01/2011 Thanks for the invitation to come back a second time to the IIEA. Last time, we were talking about referendums and treaties and the reasons for Ireland to vote yes to a European future. As someone who believes strongly in a European future, I am only grateful that Ireland does not have to have a referendum on Europe now, in relation to the current crisis. In fact, Ireland has had a great deal of support from the EU especially the liquidity funding from the ECB, but it is also taking heavy punishment from the EU and IMF.

Brussels, 17/12/2010 The European Council of 16-17 December rejected Euro-bonds and approved measures to punish countries in difficulties rather than helping them. ETUC warns that EU risks of plunging into recession for 2011 and that trade unions will continue their campaign against austerity. John Monks, ETUC General Secretary declared: “The outcome of this Council is more in the spirit of the Treaty of Versailles of 1919 and of economics of 30’s. What was needed is still the spirit of the Marshall Plan for vulnerable countries”.

Brussels, 09/12/2010

Brussels, 13/12/2010 Several trade unions, members of the ETUC, went ahead of the December 15 call with a number of national mobilisations because of the accelerated deterioration of the economic and social situation in their countries. There will however be many decentralized actions – strikes, demonstrations, work stoppages, meetings – all over Europe (in Greece, Spain, France, Luxemburg, Denmark, Czech Republic, etc.) See the 15 December map: http://www.etuc.org/15122010-european-day-action-journ%C3%A9e-daction-europ%C3%A9enne

Brussels, 06/12/2010 To move this discussion forward, the ETUC has also provided Ministers with a note spelling out a possible policy proposal in which 60% of national debt would be taken out of the grip of speculators, while financing a robust and European investment led recovery. . Says John Monks, general secretary of the ETUC, “In order to save the single currency from speculation, Europe urgently needs to consider to join financial forces ”. Letter to the EU Finance ministers: http://www.etuc.org/a/7971

Brussels, 16/11/2010 President, colleagues, there is an old Irish joke that when a tourist asked a local the best way to Cork, the reply was “you don’t want to start from here”.

Brussels, 27/10/2010

Wroclaw, 22/10/2010 Janusz, friends, it is a pleasure to return to the Congress of Solidarnosc. Much has happened since my last visit to you in Szczecin. The world economy has had a heart attack, not fatal, not like the heart attack which killed Communism. But one which has inflicted great pain and suffering on most countries, and has exposed weaknesses in the construction of the European Union.

Brussels, 2010

Brussels, 2010 To download the Study, please click on the link or icon below. - "Climate disruptions, new industrial policies and ways out of the crisis" - Study polish version

Brussels, 29/09/2010 John Monks declared: “This day is a resounding success for European workers and a clear signal to the leaders of Europe: you can no longer merely listen to the market, you can no longer ignore the anger and concern of the workers.” - Pictures of the Euro-demonstration in Brussels: http://www.etuc.org/a/7697 - Video Clips: http://www.youtube.com/etucces

Brussels, 29/09/2010

Brussels, 15/09/2010 John Monks said: “Cutting in a recession is crazy and we must fight it. We need Eurobonds to help the weaker economies and a new financial transaction tax so that speculators cannot escape paying a fair share of the debts they have dumped on the rest of us. We need special action too to help the young, many of whom can get neither jobs nor education in the crisis.” - John Monk’s speech : www.etuc.org/a/7647

Brussels, 09/09/2010 John Monks said: “This is the worst economic crisis in the post war history of Western Europe. Our campaign is against austerity, and, instead, for jobs and growth: cutting in a recession, cutting when unemployment is already high, cutting when economic growth is low, cutting labour rights and pensions, this is wrong”. “So we call for a rethink and a change – in Spain and in Europe - on September 29. We are mobilising: they will have to listen to us”, he added.

Ljubljana, 01/09/2010 It is always a pleasure to visit this beautiful corner of Europe – one of the best examples of trade union co-operation across national borders anywhere in the European Union. It was not always like that round here. Armies have criss-crossed these lands for centuries. Guns and tramping soldiers have come and gone in streets and boulevards. The ghosts of the fallen still call to us with the message “never again must the peoples of Europe turn again to war as a solution.”

Brussels, 23/09/2010

Brussels, 07/07/2010

Brussels, 07/07/2010 Thank you for the invitation to come along today with my trade union and social partner colleagues. This is an important moment. It’s the worst economic crisis in Western Europe since the Second World War - I do recognise that there have been worse crises in Eastern Europe. The stimulus packages are being withdrawn, austerity is a near universal European fashion, and the fragile recovery is at risk. Governments are following the example of their predecessors in the 1930s.

Bruxelles, 02/07/2010 The ETUC and its Turkish member organisations today organised a conference on the crisis and workers' rights in Europe. The trade unions used this opportunity to reaffirm the importance of defending quality jobs, combating informal work and respecting trade union rights and fundamental rights.

Brussels, 16/06/2010

Geneva, 14/06/2010 I take the floor to alert this conference to two key European developments. The first concerns the economic crisis. In 2007/8 the leaders of the world avoided the grave errors of their predecessors in 1931. They did not all cut public expenditure at the same time, unlike the President Hoover generation of leaders. Indeed, many introduced stimuli packages. Those actions led to the crisis not descending into a repeat of the Great Depression.

Brussels, 01-02/06/2010

Brussels, 01-02/06/2010 Introductory remarks