ILC – ILO – Geneva, 9 June 2017 Speech of Luca Visentini – General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY   Thank you chair. Ladies and gentlemen,   The Report of the ILO Director General this year addresses climate change, while another report analyses the labour migration. They could seem two completely different topics, but they are not.

The ETUC is calling on EU representatives to defend trade union rights when they meet members of the Kazakhstan government in Astana today. In a letter to EU High Representative Federica Mogherini, ETUC General Secretary Luca Visentini and Sharan Burrow, General Secretary of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ITUC), condemn the arrest and interrogation of trade unionists and moves to deregister trade unions in Kazakhstan.  The International Labour Organization has repeatedly urged Kazakh ministers to repeal the law that restricts union activities.

With the UK Government expected to trigger article 50 this week, the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) has called on EU Chief Negotiator Michel Barnier to ensure “a social and economic agreement that protects jobs, living standards and workers’ rights, and not a free trade deal built on a platform of lower pay, tax and standards.” The ETUC called for  

  STATEMENT OF THE ETUC ON THE NOTIFICATION OF THE UK TO WITHDRAW FROM THE EUROPEAN UNION Statement adopted by the Executive Committee, Malta 15 -16 March 2017 Meeting in Malta during the Maltese Presidency of the European Union the European Trade Union Confederation reaffirmed its commitment that workers and citizens – in UK and the rest of the EU - must not pay the price for Brexit. Our key common priority is the defence of workers’ rights, jobs and living standards.

The ETUC and ITUC have expressed strong support for the efforts by its French affiliates to defend the new law requiring French multinational companies to establish vigilance plans to avoid and remedy violations of fundamental rights and environmental standards throughout their supply chains and operations. Two days after the adoption of the law on 21 February, Members and Senators from the Republican Party, backed by employer organisation MEDEF, referred the issue to France’s Constitutional Council claiming that the law is unconstitutional.

  Whistleblowing and protection from blacklisting Adopted at the Executive Committee on 14-15 December 2016 Introduction Whistleblowing is a fundamental aspect of freedom of expression and therefore of democracy. Yet wRecent cases have highlighted the need for protection for whistleblowers and have reinforced the ETUC demands for full coverage protection at EU level.

On 16 December 1966, the United Nations General Assembly adopted two international treaties that would forever shape international human rights: The International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). The ICESCR lays down the right to work, just and fair working conditions and freedom of association, and recognises the right to strike. On its 50th ETUC General Secretary, Luca Visentini, said

The ETUC is calling on Eurogroup Finance Ministers meeting on 5 December not to impose further damaging “reforms” to Greece’s labour market and Greek workers’ rights following an urgent appeal by Greek trade union GSEE. Discussions are ongoing between the Greek Government and Greece’s creditors, with the IMF pushing for further deregulation of the already highly deregulated labour market.  Key issues include creditors demanding

Today, 29 November, the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) met Martin Schulz, President of the European Parliament, to present him with the 158 MEP Pledges of support for trade union rights in Europe. 158 MEPs from 24 countries, and 5 political groups, have signed an ETUC pledge to respect and promote trade union rights in all their work on EU legislation and policy initiatives – see https://www.etuc.org/campaign/turights .

The government of Turkish President Erdogan has recently fired a further 10,131 of its employees, bringing the total number of public sector employees dismissed or suspended since the failed 15 July military coup attempt to more than 100,000.  The dismissals, across 35 different government ministries and agencies, were mainly in the health, education and justice departments. New recruitments may be arbitrary, not based on objective criteria, in education institutions where most dismissals have occurred so far. Those fired are barred from future employment in the public sector.

European and British trade unions will work closely together through Brexit to defend the interests and rights of workers on both sides of the Channel. Speaking at TUC Congress in Brighton today, ETUC General Secretary Luca Visentini, will say “we will fight to make certain that workers’ interests, both in the UK and in Europe, are not damaged by Brexit – and to ensure that trade unions are involved in the negotiations.”

Further to specific developments in the case of Vos Transport in the period between the end of SOMO's research and the publication of the report, SOMO has published the following annex providing an update including a recent case ruling, reference to the Dutch Labour Inspection report and Vos reply  

Letter sent by ETUC and ETF to EU Commissioners Violet Bulc and Marianne Thyssen   Dear Commissioner Bulc, Dear Commissioner Thyssen,

ETUC Deputy General Secretary Peter Scherrer will present the prestigious Silver Rose Press Freedom Award to Uğur Güç, President of the Journalist Union of Turkey (TGS), in a ceremony in the European Parliament today. The award is made annually by SOLIDAR, the European network of 60 Civil Society Organisations working for social justice worldwide. This year’s winner is a distinctively political choice supporting jailed journalists and promoting solidarity between journalists in Turkey and abroad.

Luca Visentini – speech for ILO International Labour Conference 3 June 2016 Check against delivery We, the European trade union movement, welcome the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the ILO’s ‘End to Poverty’ Initiative. We welcome the ILO initiative on the Future of Work and the ILO action on Supply Chains. End poverty & hunger, combat inequality, build just and inclusive societies, gender equality, the protection of our planet’s natural resources.

Today the European Commission proposed a revision of the Posted Workers Directive that delivers equal pay for many, but not all, posted workers. The proposed wording on remuneration has been improved from earlier drafts. However, the proposed restrictive definition of the type of collective agreement recognised is not satisfactory: excluding most sectoral collective agreements in some countries (including Germany and Italy), and all company-level agreements.

Brussels, 19 January 2016 ETUC letter of support to Philippe Martinez, General Secretary of CGT French Union  Dear Philippe, The ETUC is gravely concerned about the sentences handed down by the court of Amiens on 12 January for the eight former Goodyear workers. 24 months in prison, of which 9 months are mandatory, is unprecedented. It severely punishes workers who fought for nearly 7 years to save their jobs on their territory.

The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) supports the Spanish trade unions (CCOO and UGT) in calling for the prosecution case to be dropped against 8 trade unionists who each face sentences of up to 8 years and 3 months. The case relates to events outside an Airbus factory in Getafe, near Madrid, in September 2010 during a general strike to protest against Government changes to labour law. The workers’ demonstration was attacked by riot police and several people were injured. The Spanish trade unions argue that

The COP 21 has delivered a universal agreement which will frame the long term action on climate change. The ETUC welcomes that agreement which concludes a long and complex negotiation process. Giving to the world a global instrument to tackle climate change is a major political breakthrough even though, as stressed below, this agreement is in many respects not as ambitious as we would have wished.

Reforming the Litigation Group into the Fundamental Rights and Litigation Advisory Group Adopted at the Executive Committee Meeting of 16th and 17th December 2015 Throughout Europe workers and their unions are experiencing attacks on their hard won rights, and fundamental human rights including labour rights are being questioned. 

Role of the ETUC 2015/2019 - follow-up: ETUC/EESC Workers' Group cooperation (resolution) Adopted at the ETUC Executive Committee on 28-29 October 2015

  The ETUC represents all working people in Europe.  It exists to negotiate, campaign and take action for better living and working conditions.

Speech given by Bernadette Ségol, General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation at 'No to Slavery at Work' event 10 September 2015, Vilnius [Check against delivery] Dear colleagues, friends,   I am pleased to be with you here today in Vilnius, and to bring you the support and solidarity of the European Trade Union Confederation and of your brother and sister trade unionists across Europe.

Emergency motion on fundamental rights in Spain  Five years ago, on September 29, both major Spanish unions, CC.OO and UGT organised a general strike against the neoliberal reforms that the Spanish government was launching in Spain. On Tuesday, as the ETUC Congress opened, Spanish workers continued to suffer the impact of the economic crisis, the labour reforms and a trade union witch-hunt, with 300 trade unionists penalised for exercising their right to strike.