(29 March 2011, Brussels) The European Federation of Public Services Unions supported the call by the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) for a week of mobilisation against the proposals of the European Commission to impose more austerity measures on European workers while failing to doing anything about those who actually caused the crisis.
We salute the hundreds of thousands workers that took to the streets in several European cities. Here is the round up of information.
Protest in Lithuania
On Saturday March 19 a joint mass protest action was held in Vilnius. The organizers of this action were the four main Lithuanian trade union centres – Lithuanian Trade Union Confederation, Lithuanian Labour Federation, Lithuanian Trade Union „Solidarumas“ and Lithuanian Journalists’ Union. Around 2500 people gathered from all regions of Lithuania and marched from the Lithuanian Parliament building to the Government where Artūras Černiauskas, the chairman of Lithuanian Trade Union Confederation, read out the demands of trade unions.
Amongst these demands we find the creation of a progressive taxation system, the reduction of unemployment, restoring back the pension level of 2008 and the increase of the minimum wage. The demonstrators were repeatedly shouting “enough”.
A delegation of 50 members of Lithuanian Energy Workers’ trade Union Federation (an EPSU affiliated union) was also taking part in the protest action. The main outcry of the delegation was “No to Austerity – Priority for Jobs and Growth!” Protest action has run in a peaceful atmosphere and no any incidents were fixed during it.
Demonstrations in Romania
On March 16, more than 10,000 workers demonstrated in Bucharest while the Parliament was discussing a motion against the government presented by the political opposition. The motion was related to the changes in the labour code prepared by the government, in consultation with the IMF and the chambers of commerce, and in total ignorance of the trade union protests.
From the trade union perspective, such changes will transform the existing code into a “code of slavery”, as the changes proposed will restrict heavily the rights of the workers and of the unions. The Government has stated that "It’s the EU Directives which require these changes and the big investors are waiting for the labour reform to come to Romania".
The counter reforms include : The elimination of collective agreements at national level, cross-sectoral or sectoral, temporary contracts used extensively, for a period from 12 to 36 months, with the possibility to be prolonged to 5 years, with the consent of the parties, The possibility of discretionary lay offs, decided unilaterally by the employer, without prior notice, without consultations with the union and without severance pay or other compensation to the employee, the transformation of labour norms so they can be decided unilaterally by the employer, without discussing or negotiating them with the union or the employee, a modification of wages so they can be modified unilaterally by the employers, on the basis of performance-related work (also established arbitrarily) last but not least, probation periods up to 90 days (even 120 days for the executive jobs), after which the employees can be dismissed by the employer without any restriction
As expected, the motion did not pass yesterday (it was the 8th motion to which the government has survived) and the government has assumed responsibility for the new labour code, which must be approved by the president.
The demo was preceded by a 2-hour strike organized by the railway workers. Also, since 28 February, daily protest actions have been organized in various cities in the country, in 8 different counties every day. Now the confederations are collecting signatures for a general strike that could be organized in April-May this year.
The confederations have announced that they are going to send complaints to the European Commission and to the Hague court (the ILO has already been notified), as well as to the international trade union organizations. EPSU has and will be, sending solidarity message to its affiliates on struggle and will be marching with them in Budapest on April 9.
Portugal
Also on March 19, hundreds of thousands of demonstrators participated in the March organised by the Portuguese trade unions. The demonstration took place in a particularly difficult climate as the Government fall because it did not manage to pass its fourth austerity package.
We send a warn solidarity message to the Portuguese workers that are fighting for their working and living conditions and a just answer to the crisis.
Demonstrations in Brussels
On the day of the European Council (March 24) the Belgian trade unions mobilised over 30,000 people against the EU proposals to workers. With them there were delegations from France, Luxembourg, Germany and the Netherlands.
The FGTB mobilised in 3 symbolic places of Brussels, the Belgian National Bank, Electrabel and Business Europe to end up in a rally next to the EU institutions. The CSC mobilised in the symbolic atomium. The slogans were: No to austerity for a social Europe and solidarity.
Monster demonstration in London
(click to enlarge)
Last but not least, on Saturday March 26 the British trade unions marched "against the cuts and for the alternative". More than 500.000 people from all over the United Kingdom marched against the cuts imposed by the Liberal and Conservative Government.
A delegation of EPSU affiliates was present. Amongst that delegation Carola Fischbach-Pyttel, EPSU General Secretary, Dave Prentis, EPSU Vice-President and Peter Waldorf, PSI General Secretary.
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