Konventum, Helsingor, Denmark, 07/06/2010 Last time, I came to a SAMAK event, it was in Oslo and the hot topic was a self critical examination of whether Nordic countries could have done more to handle the effects of the Asian tsunami which killed thousands, including hundreds of Scandinavians.

Brussels, 03/06/2010 During the meeting, the trade union delegation [[Composition of the trade union delegation: John Monks, ETUC General Secretary Joël Decaillon, ETUC Deputy General Secretary Bernard Thibault, General Secretary of the CGT (General Labour Confederation - France) Yannis Panagopoulos, President of the GSEE (General Confederation of Greek Workers).]] will highlight its priorities:

Warsaw, 28/05/2010 President, delegates and fellow guests, thank you for this invitation to address your Congress once again. I came to a previous one and, since then, it has been a roller coaster for Poland, and for Europe – a period of breakneck growth followed by a crash, not so bad here as in most other EU countries but unemployment at 12,3% (from 10,9% a year ago) and high poverty is a distressing situation for the country’s workers.

Berlin, 18/05/2010 President, delegates, Your time is precious. My speaking time is limited. So I will limit my intervention to the essentials. The global casino is turning at maximum. Financial markets seem to drive politics. The turmoil on these markets, the high speed speculation against the European currency, the uncontrolled power of rating agencies – all this is constantly threatening our European cohesion, our social fundamentals, our social model, the social market economy.

Brussels, 14/05/2010 These packages reflect elements of the tough conditions decided on recently by the European authorities, conditions which are even harder than those being applied by the IMF in other cases of this kind.

14/05/2010

Brussels, 11/05/2010 There is a clear risk that countries which need the support will have to implement drastic cuts in public expenditure, which are likely to push the economy into prolonged recession with serious resulting rises in unemployment. Again workers are likely to bear the costs of the crisis. For the ETUC, the terms of help are too tough, and EU finance must be directed to help economic and employment growth.

Brussels, 07/05/2010 Says John Monks, general secretary of the ETUC: "Europe saved the banks. Social system and fair labour standards are as important, even more important, as the banks and should not be allowed to be bankrupted by the speculators". To fight the fire of speculation with the fire of European unity, the ETUC urges the heads of governments to show the same courage and creativity as they did when saving the banks:

Rimini, 06/05/2010 It is always a pleasure to visit Italy and a privilege to attend CGIL events, which are always held in nice places – the summer school in Chinciano Terme in Toscana and now this Congress, like the last, in the land of La Dolce Vita. I hope this Congress is a dolce experience.

Brussels, 05/05/2010

Athens, 05/05/2010 I bring greetings and messages of solidarity from the 80 affiliates and 60 million members of the European Trade Union Confederation. Everyone in the ETUC knows the seriousness of the situation. Everyone appreciates that things must change. But everyone too knows that the response of the EU so far to the Greek crisis has been hesitant, clumsy, and now positively dangerous, not just to Greece but to Europe.

Brussels, 04/05/2010 As a result, Greece will enter into a deflationary recession lasting several years. Unemployment will be pushed up well into the double digit numbers. Poverty, already hitting 20% of the Greek population, will jump further upwards. And four years from now, with nominal GDP having fallen considerably, Greece and its citizens will still be shouldering a mountain of debt of 140% of GDP. .

Madrid, 04-05/05/2010 Dear Colleagues, This is the fifth time we meet for a European and Latin American and Caribbean trade union Summit. The ETUC places great store in this relationship, which we want to deepen further. Over the next 2 days we will take stock of the outcomes since the Lima meeting two years ago, and prepare for the next phase. We will condense our thoughts in a declaration for presentation to the current rotating President of the EU, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, at the Summit meeting in a couple of weeks.

Brussels, 29/03/2010

Brussels, 25/03/2010 A string of campaigns and demonstrations have been staged and will continue in Europe. The mobilisation in Greece is not weakening. The whole European trade union movement is determined to make its demands heard on the European day of action on 24 March. Actions will be stepped up over the next few months if these demands are not heeded.

Brussels, 23/03/2010 Those who are now blaming public and social expenditure for holding back economics are confusing cause and consequence. Rising public sector debt did not cause the crisis; high private sector debt caused the crisis and its excess savings of households and companies which weakens recovery.

Brussels, 09-10/03/2010 The impact of the internal market on Europe's social model prompts certain concerns. The crisis has brought cruelly to light the weaknesses of the strategy based on deregulation and liberalisation. If the European Union fails to safeguard its social achievements and to reconcile internal market rules with workers’ rights, further development of the internal market could prove more difficult. Protectionist reflexes will become more pronounced and the single market will be confronted with more distortions {{

Brussels, 09-10/03/2010

Brussels, 09-10/03/2010 The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) Executive Committee members attending the meeting of 9 & 10 March 2010, express their solidarity with the President of the Greek Confederation of Labour, GSEE, Yannis Panagopoulos, who was brutally attacked by perpetrators alien to the trade union movement. They note with concern that such condemnable actions inevitably bring to mind the rise of fascism and hope that the democratically elected Greek Government will swiftly bring the culprits to justice.

Brussels, 09/03/2010 The ETUC is concerned to observe that Greece seems to be alone to face a renewed wave of financial market speculation, orchestrated by the ‘Goldman Sachses’ of this world. The European Council, the European Central Bank and the European Commission are giving an entirely wrong message: Speculators are not to be touched while workers and governments are pressed to cut wages, social benefits and public services.

Rome, 04/03/2010 Luigi, delegates and fellow guests. It is a great pleasure to return to the UIL Congress and to have this opportunity for a short address. It is my normal wish when returning to address a Congress to paint a picture of our achievements and successes since we last met, while of course tackling the challenges that are new or are still outstanding.

Athens, 24/02/2010 “Panta rhei” – everything flows – said Heraclitus. Abraham Lincoln once sent a message to the cotton workers of Manchester, who were unemployed because of their support for the blockade of Southern American posts in the war against slavery. Lincoln memorably said “The strongest bond of human sympathy outside the family relation should be one uniting working people of all nations and tongues.”

Brussels, 23/02/2010 Europe’s trade unions follow with great concern the situation in Greece and in particular the pressure by the Commission, the Eurozone Ministers and the European Central Bank (ECB) on the Greek government for harsher austerity. The Labour movement in Europe stands in full solidarity with Greek workers in their struggle against job cuts, wage freezes, wage and pension cuts. Europe’s message to the Greek people should be one of stability and social progress and not one of deprivation and social dumping.

Brussels, 15/02/2010 Says John Monks, ETUC General Secretary: “Governments and central banks in Europe have massively bailed out the banks. Now that financial markets are turning against public finances, governments need to close ranks to save themselves from the speculators. Europe urgently needs a common Eurobond, a European rating agency and new taxation revenues including a Transaction Tax”.

Brussels, 12/02/2010 This is unsatisfactory and it is to be hoped that Europe’s finance ministers can devise specific and clear plans when they meet next week and so add much needed credibility to the EU’s approach. The most vulnerable economies in the eurozone are likely to need some help to maintain stability, and the EU needs a clear plan with the scale of assistance available, and the obligations to be incurred if it is sought.