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UNI Europa strongly supports the ETUC initiative to change the direction of the EU’s economic policy from austerity to sustainable growth. This could create up to 11 million new jobs.

The Executive Committee of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) unanimously adopted  “A new path for Europe: ETUC plan for investment, sustainable growth and quality jobs” on 7 November 2013.

At its core is a bold recovery strategy based on investing an additional 2% of GDP per year over a decade to create new quality jobs and strengthen future areas of sustainable growth, thereby also increasing each country’s tax income.

The underlying concept is to mobilise private capital for the real economy by providing long-term and reputable investment opportunities. It thus stops driving capital into speculation and out of Europe.

“The ETUC recovery plan sets out a clear vision to exit the crisis in Europe: it is about Europeans standing together and investing massively in their joint future and their people,” said Oliver Roethig, UNI Europa Regional Secretary. “It is about saying ‘no’ to speculation and ‘yes’ to investment in the real economy.”

“Politicians should endorse the plan. It gives citizens a perspective for the future, in particular in countries like Greece, Portugal, Ireland or Romania.”

“This is even more important considering the upcoming elections to the European Parliament. Citizens must again feel that Europe is about their interests and not of those of speculators. Otherwise, the EU’s legitimacy will erode further and extremism in countries and the future European Parliament will grow substantially.”

From the perspective of UNI Europa, one principle objective for investment must be developing a sustainable and modern services industry. This includes investing into “green” ICT, e-commerce and care facilities, but also into the training and education of people throughout their lives. For UNI Europa, the ETUC investment plan is a key plank in its strategy for developing a European services industry with quality jobs and quality services as expressed in its Manifesto for Services.

 “Europe is strong enough. With its periphery it brings together 1 billion people. It is the wealthiest region worldwide. Europe’s people have enough resources and money,” said Roethig.

“What is needed is the political will to move out off the crisis together and in solidarity. The ETUC’s investment plan shows the way. Together with the entire European trade union movement, UNI Europa will promote the plan as a key issue for the European Parliamentary elections, for securing Europe's future.”

For further details, see “http://www.etuc.org/a/11716”