Brussels, 21/04/2008
A European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) delegation headed by Deputy General Secretary Maria Helena André, and composed of representatives from several national member confederations, took part in the Fourth EU-LAC Trade Union Summit.
The trade union declaration calls for strong action to implement the association project between the two regions, launched at the Rio de Janeiro summit in 1999. It also stresses the need for reinforcement of integration projects on both continents.
On the current negotiations with a view to the establishment of Association Agreements with Mercosur, the Andean Community and Central America, the trade union organisations call for transparency and real participation by trade unions and civil society organisations.
The trade chapter of the negotiations must be based on the principles of fair trade and the social and labour dimensions have to be strengthened to guarantee workers’ rights as laid down in The International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions and the decent work agenda, note the trade union organisations.
The ETUC, the TUCA (Trade Union Confederation of the workers of Americas) and the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) met the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Peru and the ETUC also met the French Ambassador to Peru, who represented the European Council on behalf of the Slovenian Presidency of the EU. On both occasions, trade union representatives called for the Declaration adopted by the Fourth Trade Union Summit to be taken into consideration by the Heads of State and Government on the occasion of the forthcoming EU-LAC Summit.
- Trade union declaration