Take workers’ and citizens’ interests into account in EU-Russia Energy Dialogue
(18 June 2007) Leaders of the Russian energy trade unions (production, transmission, distribution; state and municipal utilities) stated very clearly that opening of the electricity and gas markets will hurt workers and citizens. Prices will increase for domestic users and vulnerable users, and vulnerable regions will suffer. Public services will be affected. The unions reflected on the Roadmaps to develop competitive and compatible markets in electricity as developed by the CIS Electric Power Council and Eurelectric. Clearly the social implications do not receive much attention.
A representative of the European Union explained the current state of affairs of the dialogue and a major discussion took place over the lack of a social dimension and what could be done to address this. The unions decided to do further work on this. It is a longstanding demand of EPSU that these dialogues should take account of social and workers’ interest. The one-sided involvement of business interests with a singular goal of creating markets and earning profits is not supported and creates problems of legitimacy for the very dialogue.
The seminar was organized by PSI. PSI’s David Boys (utilities officer) presented the energy work of PSI. The EPSU Deputy General Secretary Jan Willem Goudriaan presented the consequences of the EU internal market, the EU-Russia energy dialogue and the relevance of European Works Councils for Russian unions. He discussed the further steps to be taken to have an impact. It took place 14 and 15 June 2007, Moscow.
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