Commission's Better Regulation Agenda: Not one for workers

(18 May 2015) The European Commissioner Frans Timmermans will publish its communication on Better Regulation 19 May 2015. There are many issues the trade unions and other organisations are asking:
- Will small and medium-sized businesses be exempted from certain regulations ? So that if you are a worker in such a company you do not enjoy the same health and safety protection, or do not have the information and consultation rights as other workers ?

- In leaked versions the proposals of the Commission tend to undermine the role of the Council and the European Parliament to freely decide on changes they would like to make to the Commission suggestions. The Commission also proposed a sort of regulatory body that would evaluate proposals, thus handing down power to corporations to have further influence. The proposals of the Commission have a simularity with the Regulatory Cooperation in the proposed trade agreement on TTIP. The Commission wants to work more with public consultations and impact assessments and EPSU, ETUC as well as employers have made clear that we do not agree that collective bargaining agreements are to be subject to such a process.

- What the European Commission calls better regulation we see as deregulation. The Commission blocked the directive on protection of workers against carcinogenes. On 28 April we recalled that nearly 100.000 workers die each year of occupational diseases caused by hazardous substances.

EPSU joined with 50 other groups in the Better Regulation Watch Dog group. The network comprises a wide range of public interest groups including consumer, environmental, development, financial, social, and public health organisations and trade unions, and represents tens of millions of European citizens. The members are united by a desire to build an inclusive and competitive Europe founded on economic, social and environmental sustainability.

- For the ETUC Press release
- For the Better Regulation Watchdog Press release