This is a call for a subcontractor to provide expertise in the framework of the implementation of the ETUC project “Prevention of OSH risks emerging from the dual transitions and at the centre of the EU trade strategy – focus on Trade”. The deadline for submission of bids is 10 April 2023 at noon (12:00). All details in pdf attached

Dear President, Dear Vice-Presidents, In light of your forthcoming debate on competitiveness within the College, the ETUC and IndustriAll Europe would like to reiterate its suggestions to improve the Green Deal Industrial Plan.

European leaders must ensure subsidies for green industry come with social strings attached. The EU’s response to the United States’ Inflation Reduction Act will be discussed by heads of government at the European Council today.  While the European Commission has published plans to keep industry in Europe by matching US subsidies for clean-tech, the EU is so far being left behind when it comes to social conditions to ensure public money is used for the common good. The Inflation Reduction Act includes:

The European Commission yesterday presented a Communication on A Green Deal Industrial Plan for the Net-Zero Age but has written a blank cheque by failing to put social conditions on billions of Euros worth of subsidies for European businesses. The European Commission announced yesterday details of its Green Deal Industrial Plan, which would see around 250 billion in EU funds, and billions more in national state aid to support clean tech companies.  

Trade unions today challenged the European Commission to match the United States on their commitments to raising social standards as well as subsidy levels through the Net-Zero Industry Act. ETUC and industriAll Europe leaders met with Commission Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis to discuss the policies announced last week in response to the United States’ Inflation Reduction Act.

European trade union leaders have today met with the United States Trade Representative to discuss how to increase the number of quality green jobs in both the United States and Europe. A joint delegation from the ETUC and industriAll Europe today met Ambassador Katherine Tai in Brussels to discuss the need to support European companies in making a just transition to a green economy on both sides of the Atlantic.

A new EU ban on good produced through forced labour is crucial to tackling the rise in the number of victims of modern slavery. The European Commission has proposed a prohibition on products found to have been made using forced labour from sale in the EU, whether they are made in the EU or in third countries. It comes after the International Labour Organisation (ILO) this week published new research showing there are 28 million people in forced labour around the world, including 3.3 million children.

Positioning the ETUC for an EU open strategic autonomy with a strong social agenda Adopted at the Executive Committee meeting of 22 and 23 June 2022 Summary of key messages

Initial comments The ETUC welcomes the upcoming European Commission initiative on forced labour and the opportunity to give input to this Call for evidence. The ETUC intends to come back to the European Commission with further details about the initiative at a later stage.

Ahead of the May 15–16 ministerial meeting of the U.S.–E.U. Trade and Technology Council (TTC), trade unions call on the U.S. government and the European Union Commission to deepen trans-Atlantic cooperation and deliver meaningful results for workers on both sides of the Atlantic.

Today the European Commission restated its commitment to decent work worldwide, to abolition of child labour and forced labour, set out the various already-existing tools that could be used to achieve it, and proposed an ‘instrument’ to ban products in EU made from forced labour. Liina Carr, ETUC Confederal Secretary said “The EU must adopt a ban on products from forced labour. To fail to do so now would be a disgrace.

ETUC position on the Energy Charter Treaty Adopted at the Executive Committee meeting of 5-6 October 2021 Background

Dear President, Dear High Representative, The ETUC totally condemns the bloody repression by the Myanmar military which has trampled over democracy and the legitimate protests of the people of Myanmar and killed over 100 people including children in the deadliest day since the illegal coup two months ago. In addition to gun and grenade attacks on people in several cities, airstrikes against its own people have caused many citizens to flee the country for Thailand.

Dear MEP of the INTA Committee, In view of the dicussion in Plenary next week on the Trade Policy Review, please find here the ETUC position on the topic. With kind regards, Daniele Basso ETUC Trade Policy Advisor 

ETUC Position on EU Trade Policy Review Adopted at the  Executive Committee Meeting of 28-29 October 2020

Brussels 18/12/2019  ETUC position on the EU-Vietnam Free Trade and Investment Protection Agreements  Adopted at the Executive Committee Meeting of 17-18 December 2019 Background

As the world watches the Amazon burning in horror, the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) urges the EU and the international community to act decisively to save the world’s largest rainforest. The ETUC proposes that action should include

Brussels 25/06/2019 CONO SUR TRADE UNION ORGANISATIONS COORDINATOR (CCSCS) EUROPEAN TRADE UNION CONFEDERATION (ETUC) JOINT STATEMENT ON NEGOTIATIONS FOR A BI-REGIONAL PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE EUROPEAN UNION AND MERCOSUR  

The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) has been following - with growing concern and frustration - discussions in South Korea about the ratification and full implementation of fundamental UN ILO Conventions, notably Convention 87 on Freedom of Association and Convention 98 on Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining, which the South Korean government committed to in the 2011 EU-Korea Free Trade Agreement.

Brussels, 11 February 2019 Dear Member of the European Parliament, On the eve of the vote on the EU Singapore Investment Protection Agreement (EUSIPA), ETUC urges you not to support the Agreement that represents a further entrenchment of investors’ rights, while workers’ rights are still without similar protection.

  Today the European Commission formally requested consultations with the Government of South Korea on the lack of implementation of fundamental labour rights. This is strongly welcomed by the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) which, together with the Federation of Korean Trade Unions and the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, have pressed for a long time for consultations to be launched due to the poor situation of workers’ rights in South Korea.

Brothers and sisters! Comrades and friends!   I bring you the solidarity of the European Trade Union Confederation and the European trade union movement! Let me thank our Danish colleagues, LO and FTF, Lizette and Bente, for the fantastic welcome they gave us here in Copenhagen. I really admire you for the way you have defended and implemented the Danish model, based on social dialogue and collective bargaining.

Upcoming meeting in Montreal provides an opportunity to address growing concerns On the first anniversary of CETA’s implementation, trade unions on both sides of the Atlantic are warning that the trade deal is not a ‘model’ agreement and say it is time for an immediate review.

  ETUC Position on a United Nations Treaty on Transnational Corporations Adopted at the Executive Committee on 25 – 26 June 2018

The negotiations of the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) were finalised in December last year. The signature of the EPA is foreseen on 11 July 2018. Separate negotiations on investment protection continue in parallel. The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) and the Japanese Trade Union Confederation (JTUC-RENGO) recognize the importance of creating frameworks for economic cooperation between EU and Japan, which are major mutual trading partners, in guiding both economies onto a stable and sustainable growth trajectory, and establishing sustainable employment.