(Brussels 17 February - Press Communication) The European Federation of Public Services Unions (EPSU) urges G20 Finance Ministers, meeting in Paris tomorrow, to take action to avoid a jobless recovery and fulfill earlier promises to reform the international financial market in response to people’s real needs. We ask for a progressive agenda on financial regulation and fair tax, especially through the introduction of a Financial Transactions Tax (FTT).
European leaders at the G20 must take the lead and introduce immediately an FTT at EU level as a first step.
“An EU-wide FTT is both an economic and a social imperative for a continent that preaches democracy for the world. Whereas the financial sector remains largely untaxed and reaps massive profits and bonuses, public services workers continue paying a heavy price for the crisis through job and wage cuts. An FTT will divert money away from useless speculation and generate resources to reduce public deficits and finance public goods including responding to climate change. Governments need to stand up against the short term self-interest of the finance sector, and serve the interests of the people they represent. EPSU fully supports today’s trade union and NGOs protest actions ahead of the G20 meeting. ” Carola Fischbach-Pyttel, EPSU General Secretary said.
France, which currently holds the G20 Presidency, has expressed support for an FTT. To turn words into deeds, President Sarkozy will be well-advised to make this popular topic central to his G20 Presidency.
In the same vein, EPSU urges Members of the European Parliament to support, at a forthcoming plenary vote in March, the current proposal to introduce an FTT at the European level first as proposed by MEP Anni Podimata.
Too many governments are obsessed with cutting public spending to restore their fiscal position, instead of looking at the revenue side as well. An FTT, alongside stronger actions against tax havens and corporate tax fraud and for well-resourced tax administrations are part of the solution to the crisis not cuts! More information on EPSU and tax justice and campaign actions please see www.epsu.org/r/575.
For more information contact Pablo Sanchez [email protected], 00 32 (0) 474 62 66 33
EPSU is the European Federation of Public Service Unions. It is the largest federation of the ETUC and comprises 8 million public service workers from over 250 trade unions; EPSU organises workers in the energy, water and waste sectors, health and social services and local and national administration, in all European countries including in the EU’s Eastern Neighborhood. EPSU is the recognized regional organization of Public Services International (PSI). For more information on EPSU and our work please go to: www.epsu.org
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