News

At the ETUC’s last Executive Committee, 17-18 March, the ETUC’s manifesto for the European elections was endorsed. It will officially be launched on the eve of Europe Day, 9 May.

The manifesto includes a nine point plan with demands for better social legislation and altogether a more social Europe. It urges workers to use their democratic right to vote and challenge candidates on the points in the manifesto:

1) Action to strengthen workers’ and union rights by adopting a Social Progress Protocol and a revised Posting Directive to correct the recent ECJ judgements (Laval, Viking, Rüffert, Luxemburg). This is crucial to restore our fundamental rights on free movement of labour and services.

2) A New Social Deal in the economic crisis, with full trade union and workers’ involvement, aimed at full employment, quality jobs, better pay and pensions, stronger welfare states and benefits, sustainable development and a strong regulation of financial markets – workers should not pay for bankers’ incompetence.

3) A stronger European social and a coordinated fiscal policy with a view to establishing a European social union.

4) A fair deal on Working Time protecting workers against long working hours, safeguarding the special role of collective bargaining in the organisation of working time, and ensuring the right for all workers to be able to reconcile work and family life.

5) Stronger protections against the growth of precarious work and for workers in precarious jobs, providing them with better coverage by labour law and social security, and a transition to quality jobs.

6) A new European industrial strategy based on innovation, research and development, investment, education and training, and a sustainable environment. We want to ensure rapid and fair transition towards a low carbon economy, with a carbon levy on imports from industrialised countries which do not meet EU carbon emission and other environmental standards.

7) A new initiative on gender equality to combat persistent discrimination, especially the pay gap, and to ensure that women will benefit from actions to counter the economic crisis.

8) Stronger protections and equal treatment for migrant and mobile workers and strong commitments against racism, nationalism and xenophobia.

9) Respect for public services and better statutory protection, quality investment and jobs.

UNI europa is fully supporting the ETUC's manifesto and encourages all members to make use of their democratic right to vote in the upcoming European elections.

ETUC Manifesto