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 The stimulus packages are being withdrawn, austerity is a near universal European fashion, and the fragile recovery is at risk.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.

Brussels, 07/07/2010

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

Brussels, 15/06/2010 Following the study commissioned by the ETUC, ‘Climate change, new industrial policies and ways out of the crisis’, a new brochure on the subject was presented at a press conference held on 15 June. Joël Decaillon, ETUC Deputy General Secretary, used it to sum up the proposals set out by the ETUC. There is an urgent need for the European Union: - to define coordinated European industrial policies - to promote coordinated global initiatives on research and development and the sharing of scientific knowledge

Brussels, 14/06/2010

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.

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, 07/06/2010 These are the key messages that the ETUC is giving today to the European Commission, in its position on the review of the WTD approved by its Executive Committee last week. The Commission has launched a new round of consultations of the European social partners, after the previous attempts to revise the WTD –taking 7 years of struggle between European Parliament and Council – failed last year.

Brussels, 04/06/2010 The centre of gravity of global growth has shifted to Asia and Latin America. In these new circumstances and considering today's unprecedented crisis, Europe needs its own development project. It urgently has to develop strong, sustainable and dynamic industrial policies based on a low-carbon approach and the use of new technologies. At the same time, Europe needs to safeguard and reinforce its unique social model whilst respecting and strengthening its commitments to developing countries.

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:

Bruxelles, 02/06/2010