Brussels, 01/05/2006
Following EU enlargement in 2004, Member States had until 30 April 2006 to announce whether they would remove restrictions imposed on incoming workers from the new Member States of central and eastern Europe. From 1 May, these citizens have access to labour markets in Finland, Spain and Portugal. Belgium and France have also pledged to ease their rules gradually. Ireland, Sweden and the UK opened their labour markets from 2004 onwards, with recent studies reporting a positive impact on EU economies.
2006 is also the European Year of Workers' Mobility, and the ETUC is calling for better social protection to accompany free movement.
May Day has been celebrated as labour day for well over a century. Its origins go back to the 19th century, and the long struggle for an eight-hour working day. Workers in Australia were among the first to organise a one-day demonstration in support of their demand, and this was taken up in the USA on 1 May 1886. In 1889, the International Workers' Congress established May Day as a day of worldwide action, and from 1891 onwards more and more countries adopted this tradition.
“May Day is the day when trade unionists around the world demonstrate their solidarity, and the ongoing struggle for social progress and decent living and working conditions for all,” said ETUC General Secretary John Monks. “Recent events such as the Euro-demonstration in Strasbourg and the compromise on the Services Directive have proved that trade unions have a crucial role to play in progress at European level.”