International

When it comes to the development of new EU policies, expert groups are important sources of information. But who takes part in these groups, and whose interests are they serving? Members of expert groups are specialists who may be on the payroll of a commercial corporation. By being invited to take part, the employee in question not only gains prestige and information, but his or her work is also of great importance to the employer, with the person in question becoming both an eavesdropper and an ambassador for the company. In an EU expert group, information may be gathered which is of great value to the company, and contacts made which are also of importance to the firm. For this reason, making it possible for one of your employees to participate in an EU expert group will provide you with strategic inside information regarding forthcoming developments in EU policy and the dangers or opportunities which these may present.

SP Member of Parliament Sharon Gesthuizen today attacked the government's intention to open the postal market to competition from 1st April. This liberalisation will lead to a wage cut of 15% for postal delivery workers and savage wage-based competition. “We're led to believe that everyone should be able to earn the minimum wage and that there should be no competition around working conditions or conditions of service," says Gesthuizen. "Meanwhile, postal workers are losing hundreds of euros a month and hardly any of the postal workers in the new firms which are entering the sector are paid the minimum wage."