Thousands of workers tell Commission and Council: we want an end to austerity. Focus on Alternatives

Press communication

(Brussels, 24 October 2013) Across Europe thousands of workers take part in a European action of EPSU to tell European Commission President Barroso and European Council President Van Rompuy that we have had it with austerity. Through pictures taken at our work places we show that Europe's public workers and our trade unions have a common message to the European Council that meets 24 & 25 October. We need an end to austerity and focus on alternatives such as investment in public services and infrastructure to help economies grow, provide quality care and tackle inequalities. The pictures are a virtual mass-demonstration and a vivid illustration that workers want a change in direction.

Public service workers have taken part in hundreds of workplace actions, taking pictures with joint logos, across the EU stressing that we expect our governments to address tax justice to fight tax fraud. This can bring back the 1 trillion EUR that is lost every year in the EU as corporations and rich individuals do not contribute their fair share to our economies.

Barroso and Van Rompuy should stop listening to corporate interests and instead improve the living and working conditions of precarious workers. With the action European workers demand European leaders to keep their hands out of collective bargaining. It is none of their business nor their competence.

With this action workers are underlining that we have a common message across Europe. "We do not agree with the current policies that cut in public spending and will have long term consequences contributing to more poverty and inequality", says EPSU's Jan Willem Goudriaan. You can not improve tax collection if you reduce the number of tax inspectors. You can not have better quality education or health and social services if funding and the number of staff are slashed. He adds: "We need public investment to have sustainable growth, create jobs and address unemployment and youth unemployment. We do not need another corporate agenda to weaken collective bargaining, employment legislation and social policy such as on health and safety".

Examples of the pictures being send to European Commission President Barroso and European Council President Van Rompuy are available here:
These messages will also be addressed to the European Social Summit on 24 October 2013.

For more information, please contact Pablo Sanchez: +32 (0) 474 62 66 33, [email protected]

- For a video and more background information

Background

With the action workers are sending the following messages to European Council President Van Rompuy and European Commission President Van Rompuy.

- No to Austerity. Austerity policies do not help our economies to grow. They increase poverty, inequality and unemployment.
- Hands off our Collective Bargaining rights. Neither the European Central Bank nor the European Commission have any role to play in collective bargaining. The autonomy of the social partners is to be respected. We want bargaining rights to be restored.
- Let the Speculators Pay. The banking crisis was caused by a runaway banking sector. Greedy bankers only considered short term results and their large bonuses. We need banks that serve the interest of workers, their families and communities
- No to cuts in public spending. Cuts in public spending increase poverty, effect quality of services, jobs, pay and pensions. These policies should stop.
- Priority for growth and employment. With 26 million unemployment and millions of young people without jobs the European Commission and national governments need to invest in public services and infrastructure that work for the future.
- Tax justice. 1 trillion Euros is lost in the EU every year. Many corporations and the wealthy do not pay their part to fund public services. We need this money back so it can be used to improve public health and education, and to address poverty in our society.