Traineeships can admittedly be a springboard towards employment for young people.  Unfortunately, they can also constitute a trap, and that is why the European Parliament and the Council have launched a call for a “Quality Framework for Traineeships” (QFT). 

ETUC General Secretary Bernadette Ségol, on the joint invitation of the two Serbian affiliates CATUS and NEZAVISNOST, held talks in Belgrade on 26 February with Prime Minister Ivica Dacic, Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic and the head of the negotiation team EU- Serbia, Tanja Miscevic.

One of the items broached at the seventh EU-Brazil summit, held today, 24 February 2014, in Brussels, and attended by President Dilma Rousseff, concerns the revival of the negotiations for an association agreement by and between the EU and Mercosur. The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) has accordingly reiterated the positions stated jointly with the trade union movements of Latin America.

European trade unions today strongly condemned the further escalation of violence resulting in the dramatic events on the streets of the Ukrainian capital.   Scores of people were left dead and hundreds injured among people protesting legitimately and the law enforcement units.  Substantial damage has been caused to public and trade union buildings. This is not a way of resolving problems in a democratic society.

By a small majority Swiss voters decided to put an end to the freedom of movement of workers between Switzerland and the European Union. The  European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) respects the democratic decision of Swiss citizens. At the same time it underlines that this decision has wide ranging consequences and brings into question the whole relationship between the EU and Switzerland.

The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) congratulates the European Parliament’s Employment and Social Affairs Committee following the adoption of its report on the employment and social consequences resulting from the Troika[1]s operations in Cyprus, Greece, Ireland and Portugal. The report highlights the devastating effects the Troika’s policies are having on social cohesion.

The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) today warned European decision makers that international trade negotiations must be open, promote European social, environmental and technical standards, and prioritise decent jobs. Addressing the European Parliament international trade committee ETUC General Secretary, Bernadette Ségol, warned that voters in the forthcoming European elections would be scrutinising EU trade arrangements, in particular the current negotiations with the United States, and "would not overlook" any deals that did not put European jobs and standards first.

Speech given by Bernadette Ségol, General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) Committee on International Trade - EU Trade Policy To be checked against delivery   President, I would like to thank the Committee for your invitation to discuss EU trade policy, on behalf of the European Trade Union Confederation to which are affiliated national trade union confederations in the EU, and more widely in Europe, as well as European federations covering all industrial sectors.

On 20 December 2013, the Spanish Council of Ministers approved a draft bill aiming at reforming the current law on sexual and reproductive health and rights. If approved, this would seriously undermine the rights of women to freely decide on their pregnancy and negatively impact Spanish obligations towards gender equality, as enshrined in the EU Treaties. The ETUC opposes strenuously the proposals that threaten EU values and human rights.

The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) welcomes the decision of the European Parliament to introduce in the consideration of anti-dumping cases references to the observance of international labour and environmental standards set down in Conventions of the International Labour Organisation and in Multilateral Environmental Agreements, as well as the possibility for trade unions and other stakeholders to submit complaints.

The Council is forcing the European Parliament to accept a Directive on intra-corporate transfers from third-countries without a full equal treatment provision in favour of third country nationals working in a Member State. This will result in workers being employed in a Member State under working conditions and labour protections which are set in the legislation of the origin countries! « The European Labour market will become a jungle », the European trade Union confederation (ETUC) warns.

Joint text by Bernadette Ségol, ETUC General Secretary, Martin Schulz, President of the European Parliament   

On Thursday 29 January 2014, the European Committee for Social Rights (ECSR), the main supervisory body for the Council of Europe’s Social Charter, presented within the framework of its annual reporting system, its so-called Conclusions 2013. The ECSR found no less than 180 cases of violations of the Charter concerning health, social security and social protection. In particular Greece, Poland and Romania received a high number of negative conclusions.