Certain candidate countries are going backwards on workers' rights at a time when they need to raise social standards to meet EU requirements, trade unions are warning.
The European Commission today published its enlargement package, which highlighted Montenegro as the country which is making progress towards EU membership. However, this report comes at a time when the Montenegrin government is attempting to significantly weaken the right to strike.
The government opened negotiations on Montenegro’s labour law, but the draft law was drawn up without social dialogue and would allow employers to hire strike breakers or see excessive financial penalties be imposed on unions.
Violations
Other candidate countries are also going backwards. The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) warned the Georgian government earlier this year that recent legislation violating workers’ and trade union rights threatens their accession process.
The Ukrainian government has proposed to seize trade union assets in violation of trade union rights and its international obligations. The Ukrainian government has also sought to weaken employers' responsibility for workers' health and safety at work, contrary to the EU OSH directive.
At its Mid-Term conference in Belgrade this year, the ETUC adopted a resolution which sets out full support for enlargement – but only on the basis that countries are fully aligned with the EU’s social acquis and carry out genuine social dialogue.
The Commission must now enforce its democratic standards and fully use the accession process to ensure national approaches that deliver for working people by including their unions. Today’s Commission report states: “Economic convergence needs to go hand in hand with social convergence, based on the principles of the EU Pillar of Social Rights and the EU social acquis.”
Esther Lynch, ETUC General Secretary, said:
“Trade unions support a united Europe but enlargement cannot be a geopolitical trophy; it must be a social contract.
“Lessons must be learned from the mistakes made during previous enlargements. We know that allowing countries to join the EU prematurely is a recipe for social dumping.
“That is why candidate countries must be in full compliance with the EU’s social standards before becoming a member state.
“While candidate countries may be making progress in other areas, they are very clearly going backwards when it comes to respect for workers’ rights, trade unions and social dialogue.
“The Commission must make it clear to the government of Montenegro and other candidates that they will not make further progress towards membership before they raise social standards.”
