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EUROPEAN REVIEW

ISSUE 31 - Page 4

Unions urge Blair in new direction as UK takes over EU presidency

THE UNITED KINGDOM'S ASSUMPTION OF THE rotating presidency of the European Union has coincided with crises on several fronts, the solutions of which may decide what kind of organisation the EU will become. Added to the sidelining of the proposed constitution (see article on page 5), the failure to set a budget for the period from 2007 has come on top of stalemates on the Services Directive, the Working Time amendment, legislation on Temporary Agency Workers and delays on the regulation of chemicals under the REACH programme. Into this morass steps the British Prime Minister who, while proclaiming himself a 'passionate European', seems to have engendered a level of distrust in some other leaders that must be unhelpful in unblocking the impasse.

To welcome him to the task the European trade unions (ETUC) have presented a 'memorandum' containing both advice and demands for the next six months.

While praising the UK for high levels of employment and increased public spending it does not mince its words concerning the country's perception in the EU 'the UK government contributes to this image by, for example, blocking new social measures (e.g. the opt out on the working time directive and the proposed directive on temporary agency workers); giving apparently uncritical support to the proposed services directive; appearing to discard social dialogue in favour of "business led" initiatives'. Any movement on these issues would 'improve the atmosphere			significantly'. Again, agreeing with the British stress on reducing unemployment in Europe, the ETUC warns against 'Pushing forward only a free market zone, without solidarity, without the framework of a social market economy' which would destroy the idea of a more unified Europe. Favouring an examination of regulation in the EU to see what could be improved the unions oppose setting '"regulation" against "improving the lives of people" as if all regulation were invented to make the "lives of people" more complicated'.
	New UNICE President Seillière and ETUC General Secretary Monks

The main priorities for the UK, according to the ETUC, should be helping workers caught up in restructuring, addressing the work/life balance, implementing gender mainstreaming, initialising a new sustainable development strategy and advancing the cause of less developed nations in trade negotiations. The new president of UNICE, the European employers' organisation has also made known his eagerness to engage in social dialogue with the unions. Ernst-Antoine Seillière wants employers to be active in the discussion about the future of the EU that Mr. Blair has intitiated and agrees with the UK leader about the need for wealth creation, competitiveness and innovation to create jobs. All sides want to talk but it seems that the outcome of the debate cannot please all of them.

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