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AS PART OF THE EU's efforts to update the 'Lisbon' reform process (see issue 30) national governments are required to come up with national reform programmes on employment by mid-October.
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The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) wants its members to influence these as much as possible with the aim of increasing economic growth to create more and better jobs. The best way to do this, it thinks, is to 'defend common positions and proposals when discussing their national reform plans'. There are four main planks of this joint programme. Firstly the ETUC wants an extra 1% of GNP invested in 'the Lisbon priority areas' which include more research and innovation, lifelong learning for all workers, increased job search assistance for workers hit by restructuring, and more funding of renewable energies, sustainable transport and social housing. Secondly it is calling for the right of all employees made redundant by restructuring to a quality job with a decent wage. Thirdly it demands that governments analyse where 'excessive flexibility' in the labour market is leading to workers being trapped in bad jobs which is connected to the last point on the 'working poor'. Eurostat figures show that 25%
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of poor people have jobs but they are too badly paid to enable them to rise out of poverty. A European Parliament report has concluded that this is especially prevalent amongst women as female-headed households earn between 9% and 26% less than their male counterparts, the biggest disparity being in the UK (26%). As well as the gender pay gap, women were far more likely to have part time work. As the ETUC puts it, only 'jobs with fair and decent working conditions, topped up with universal social benefits are the best way to social cohesion' and, according to John Monks 'In order to put full employment and Social Europe at the heart of the new Lisbon Strategy, European trade unions have to use the strength of acting together and talking with one voice'. |
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Anna Záborská MEP who introduced the report on women's poverty |
We have covered in recent issues the efforts that the trade union movement has made to integrate migrant workers into regulated, unionised employment where their rights are respected. Now an agreement between the social partners and the government in the UK and a declaration by EU Member States has underlined the importance of this work. The CBI, TUC and British government have issued a statement listing actions that each will take to 'ensure that the contribution made by workers from overseas is both recognised and enhanced to the full'. The CBI promise to promote integrated and diverse workforces, English language teaching and a transition from illegal to legal working. The Government pledges, amongst other things, to keep bureaucracy to a minimum, protect the legal rights of migrant workers, respect the needs of developing countries to retain skilled professionals and ensure that the public understands the 'vital contribution of migrants to the British economy'.
Meanwhile the Council of Ministers has recently set out principles on integration of migrants which state ' It is vital for the EU as a whole that Member States maintain and further develop societies in which newcomers feel welcome'. While conceding that because 'Member States have different histories, legal frameworks and economic, social and cultural needs to be taken into account, their current integration policies differ significantly', the Council says that any failure in integration policy by one Member State affects all the others. Therefore it has agreed eleven basic points which include the importance of employment in integration, the way in which education can enhance immigrant prospects and how participation in local democracy can enable migrants to influence policy. On the part of migrants the principles affirm the need to gain knowledge of the host country's language, history and institutions and respect for the 'basic values of the European Union'. While diversity of culture and religion is guaranteed by the EU's Charter of Fundamental Rights the principles state that 'Frequent interaction between immigrants and Member State citizens is a fundamental mechanism for integration'.
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