Brussels, 27/01/2010

Brussels, 27/01/2010

Brussels, 22/01/2010

Madrid, 21/01/2010 President, the Spanish Presidency comes at a very difficult time – for Spain of course and for the EU and the world. The economic crisis is severe, unemployment continues to rise, the financial service world is trying to get back to business – and bonuses – as usual, and young people are especially hard hit. And we have the environmental crisis and an inadequate outcome to the Copenhagen summit. The need for sustainable economies, a sustainable environment, and sustainable European population is very clear.

Brussels, 21/01/2010 John Monks, General Secretary of the ETUC stressed “This is a massive blow to manufacturing in Belgium and I would urge GM to reconsider its decision and to do all it can to save these jobs in Antwerp”.

Madrid, 21/01/2010 I congratulate the Spanish Presidency on this initiative. In all our societies the gaps between rich and poor have been widening. Income inequalities are back to late 19th century levels in some countries. Other participants have rightly focused on the need for positive action to help the excluded – training, social security, minimum wages, etc to help them progress. I agree with the importance of those at European and national level.

Brussels, 20/01/2010

Brussels, 19/01/2010 The Lisbon Strategy failed to eradicate poverty in Europe, one of the objectives set for 2010. The ETUC is of the opinion that a strong mobilization and a determined commitment are more than ever necessary to combat poverty. This mobilisation must take place simultaneously on two fronts: social protection and employment.

Brussels, 18/01/2010 The ETUC subscribes to the international movement of solidarity launched by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) calling for an urgent mobilisation in Haiti following the violent earthquake that struck this country on 12 January. The ETUC also expresses its total solidarity with the Haitian people and urges the Development Council meeting for an extraordinary session today to boost its aid measures in support of the victims.

Brussels, 12/01/2010 As an American President once said – forecasting is difficult, especially about the future. I am asked tonight to reflect on the ETUC in the next decade – in effect, an ETUC version of the 2020 exercise launched by the President of the European Commission recently. My first reflection is related to that 2020 exercise. It is an unavoidable fact that the EU’s future will have a big impact on the future of the ETUC and trade unionism at European level.

Paris, 07/01/2010 Have we managed the crisis well? The best that can be said is that we have managed the crisis better than they did in the 1930s. This time governments did not cut spending as tax revenues plummeted. This time, at least in the EU, we have had welfare states to provide social security and some active labour market policies instead of the mass poverty and unemployment of the 1930s.

Brussels, 21/12/2009 ETUC General Secretary John Monks declared: "During the financial crisis, huge amounts of resources were found to save banks and guarantee financial assets. The climate crisis was not entitled to the same treatment, however, which is extremely regrettable. We witnessed negotiations where each party was determined to be the lowest bidder. This is extremely serious for the future of humanity. This failure also brings to light the severe crisis of the United Nations institutions."

Brussels, 15/12/2009 The Copenhagen negotiations are taking place against a very unusual backdrop, as the economic and financial crisis triggers unprecedented unemployment in Europe and demonstrates the dominance of the financial system over the real economy.