(29 May 2017) European Commissioner Violeta Bulc responsible for transport policy was confronted with angry representatives of the various sectors in our sister Federation ETF, transport workers, when addressing their 5th Congress. The unionists were concerned that forthcoming proposals on Mobility would seek exemptions from working time rules for truck, bus and other drivers increasing pressures to work longer and rest less. The Commissioner denied this and asked the unions to come and discuss with her. It was an crucial moment in the Congress underlying the power of joint union action. The ETF was adopting its programme around Moving Europe Forward.
EPSU’s General Secretary addressed Congress for the European Trade Union Federations (ETUFs). He highlighted several of the projects in which the Federations had cooperated. The Federations brought together young workers across different sectors to discuss precarious work, organizing and building the power of young workers in our unions in the Back to Our Future Project. The Federations have a common interest to combat social dumping which is a very big issue in construction and transport and touches all sectors. We know of employment agencies set up in Lithuania that bring nurses from that country and other Central and Eastern European countries to Nordic countries. The nurses work at lower pay and conditions thus undermining collective agreements and social protection systems. The ETUFs exchange views on organising, adopt common positions on EWCs and transnational company agreements, recently worked together on trade, discussed the problems of the services card and coordinate positions within the ETUC Executive Committee.
EPSU shares with ETF a vision of public services that meet people’s needs. We demand an end to Member States’ and the European Union’s austerity policies and seek public investment while opposing PPPs (partnerships for private profit) and trade liberalization. EPSU and ETF are supporting strong climate action and work with the Trade Unions for Energy Democracy Group. They elected a new president, the Belgian Frank Moreels of BTB, the Belgian Transport Workers union. It took place 24-26 May 2017, Barcelona.
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