Newsletter January 2005

GENERAL SECRETARY VIEWS - Working Time Dali clocks and “La Directive servitude”

Welcome to the revamped monthly EPSU newsletter. As you can see from the layout of this publication our aim is to combine the strengths of EPSU. In the main text you will find the ‘headline stories’ that concern EPSU. In the right hand column you can find your way directly to the four EPSU ‘sectors’. Each month this column will act as an editorial, highlighting developments and flagging action and co-ordination points for our 201 affiliates. In the near future, we will provide a section ‘affiliates’ comments’, to facilitate debate and contributions. This month, I want to highlight preparations for a major demonstration. As you will have seen from EPSU circular No.1 (2005) our main priorities for 2005 are the Working Time Directive and the Services Directive Debate. EPSU has hit the ground running on both issues. Read more

EPSU-ETUCO Toolkit for the Eurotrainers’s

European integration: to develop social dialogue and defend high quality public services
FOREWORD
This training tool is the product of a joint project carried out by the European Public Services Federation and the European Trade Union College. These information and activity sheets are a new and updated version of the modules published in 1996. Each module contains basic information and suggested training activities.
The sheets were tested on an ETUCO course, held in March 2004, with 3 (...)

Interest grows in European Parliament for SGI exemption from Services Directive

EPSU members to contact Economic and Monetary Affairs (Committee MEPs)
The Employment and Social Affairs committee is due to meet to discuss its opinion on the White Paper on Services of General Interest. The draft document, tabled by Proinsias De Rossa (PES, Ireland), is encouraging from an EPSU viewpoint. The document “considers the proposed application of the Services Directive to economic SGIs makes the need for a framework directive more pressing; Considers that the full (...)

EPSU compares Commission working time proposal to a Salvador Dali clock - utterly surreal!

At a Hearing by the Social Affairs Committee of the European Parliament EPSU General Secretary Carola Fischbach-Pyttel launched a searing attack on the European Commission proposals to revise the Working Time directive. Calling the proposal a ‘historical mistake’, the General Secretary called on the Parliament to provide leadership in framing the debate.
Ms. Fischbach-Pyttel concluded her speech by saying that “The last point that I would therefore like to make is that the Commission’s (...)

Update on Social Dialogue activities in Local and Regional Government

The social dialogue activities for this year have already got underway, with joint EPSU/CEMR working group meetings taking place on January 12 and January 13. This note gives a short update.
EPSU/CEMR human resources working group
A number of ideas and suggestions were put on the table based on both EU and national and initiatives. These addressed both HR systems and particular issues such as life long learning/skills development, gender equality, and ageing workforce. The working group (...)

2005 priorities ! WORKING TIME and SERVICES DIRECTIVE

Dear Colleagues,
At the beginning of 2005 I would like to extend the Secretariat’s greetings to all of you.
We have witnessed only recently one of the most horrendous disasters in the history of mankind. It is hardly possible to find appropriate words to express the deep shock and sorrow we experience in the face of this tragedy.
As previously, the EPSU Secretariat has refrained from writing Christmas cards to all our affiliates. We have decided instead to donate EUROS 5000, - to the (...)

National Administration social dialogue talks progressing

Steps to formalise social dialogue in the state sector are moving forward. On the trade union side detailed negotiations are being conducted between EPSU and CESI. An EPSU delegation is set to continue talks on trade union representation on 2 February. A representative from the European Commission Directorate General for Employment and Social Affairs will chair the talks. The meeting aim is to build on the progress already achieved between the two sides on 16 November. A draft protocol (...)

South East European Energy unions unite

The European Commission and countries from South East Europe (SEE) are negotiating a Treaty that will extend the EU’s competition laws and electricity and gas market opening to SEE. This is the first time the EU will do this through a legally binding instrument. There is no social dimension foreseen and negotiations take place in secret. EPSU’s SEE energy unions united to demand transparency, democracy and the inclusion of fundamental rights and the EU social laws during a seminar in (...)