The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), together with sectoral trade union industriAll Europe, urge Trade Ministers meeting on 11 November to adopt robust anti-dumping measures to protect European jobs and industry from unfair, subsidised competition.
The ETUC warn trade ministers of the urgency to effectively tackle unfair trade practices from countries like China, to save jobs in Europe.
“Unfair competition is destroying EU manufacturing jobs” said ETUC General Secretary Luca Visentini. “Europe must have the proper tools to defend its industry.”
The ETUC point out that the lack of effective instruments has led to a situation of aggressive dumping of under-priced Chinese steel on the European market.
“This is not acceptable” added Visentini. “EU needs strong trade defence instruments to impose targeted restrictions on anticompetitive imports into Europe, above all if produced by workers not protected by international labour standards.”
Trade unions have been calling on Ministers to carry out a comprehensive reform of trade defence instruments (TDIs) for more than two years. The European Parliament amended the current trade defence system to impose stiffer duties on dumped or subsidised imported goods if the exporting third country “does not have a sufficient level of social and environmental standards”. However, the Member States did not accept this proposal and the reform has been stuck in the Council for over two years.
"It is time for the Council to agree to give European workers a fair chance. It is ridiculous that the UK has announced its intention to leave the EU and yet is obstructing urgently-needed reforms.”
Luc Triangle, General Secretary of IndustriAll Europe said: “It is critical for European industrial regions and communities that we have TDIs with teeth. Europe should stop being naïve. EU trade policy must ensure a level playing field where all companies compete according to the same rules, including the highest environmental standards and workers’ rights.”
Trade Unions together with industry and EU Institutions representatives co-signed a letter on this issue which was sent to EU Commissioners.
Tomorrow, 9 November, over 12,000 steel workers from all across Europe under the banner of industriAll Europe – and with the full support of the ETUC - will take to the streets in the EU quarter of Brussels to demand action to stop the continuous decline of their sector http://industriall-europe.eu/news/list3.asp?stid=482
This situation has been brought about by misguided austerity policies in Europe and has led to stifled growth and investments in infrastructure, a lack of investment.
Link to campaign: http://industriall-europe.eu/campaign/2016/Steel/
Link to pictures: https://www.flickr.com/photos/125579557@N08/albums/72157672639445584
