(17 March 2011) As you are probably aware, the European Union is currently debating the way out of the financial and economic crisis. The European Commission published a Communication in January (the Annual Growth Survey) where they plead for a reform of the pension systems, fiscal consolidation (debt and deficit reductions) and an increase in the competitiveness.
In short, the European Commission was demanding an even bigger effort to those that did not cause the crisis. Now the Council of the European Union (the Member States) are also proposing a similar set of policies, the so-called Enhanced Economic Policy Coordination. These proposals are in line with the Europe 2020 strategy and the European semester. We are highly critical of these proposals as they risk to put the European Union on the wrong path.
The proposals put forward might lead the European economy towards a downwards spiral. EU finance ministers are obsessed with cutting public deficits and debts, whereas we believe that there is need for massive investment in the public sector to get out from the crisis.
In this light, EPSU welcomes the week of actions proposed by the ETUC that starts on Saturday 19 March in Portugal, where mass demonstrations have already taken place to highlight the situation of the unemployed and of young people in precarious jobs, and finishes in London with a huge rally organized by the Trade Union Congress (TUC). The culminating point will be the action in Brussels organized by the ETUC on March 24, the very day of the summit.
We propose political alternatives, such as the Financial Transaction Tax (FTT). We were able to celebrate a success last week when the European Parliament voted, after much campaigning by trade unions and civil society organisations, in favour of an FTT in the European Union and to defend the FTT in the forthcoming G20 meeting in Cannes (November 3 and 4). Our campaign must continue, especially in the light of Commissioner Semeta recent comments stating that a proposal for EU - FTT was irresponsible. We believe that the European Union needs to stop punishing the low paid workers for the crisis and on the contrary need to start demanding the banks and speculators to pay for their large share in creating the crisis.
Last but not least, we have started to take stock of the concrete effects of the crisis on our members and citizens of Europe in general, but especially also amongst women. After years of work to narrow the pay gap between men and women the effects of the crisis are having a huge effect on women workers, as the Equal pay survey published by EPSU to commemorate 100th anniversary of International women’s day shows.
Hoping to see you in the streets of Brussels on March 24,
Yours
Carola Fischbach-Pyttel
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