International

On 5th June the Executive Committee of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) adopted a declaration calling for an agreement on a social pact for Europe. It would amaze me if anyone took any notice of this, because as far as I know the declaration attracted little or no attention from the media. We go from European summit to European summit and time and again the assembled heads of government take yet another step towards a cold-hearted Europe, a Europe without sound social provisions. They want also to see the back of national collective labour agreements, known in Dutch as CAOs, which fix a binding rate for many trades in most sectors, wanting instead to see the lowering of labour costs through wage competition. This kind of thing does get a hearing, of course, and daily. But the oppositional noises coming out of the trade union movement hardly make themselves heard. If a social Europe is to be achieved we need to change this, in the media, in the political arena and in the broader public debate. The SP team in the European Parliament does its best, but this effort must occur on a more widespread scale. Why does the labour movement not attempt to make it the subject of a European Citizens’ Initiative?

ETUC’s analysis was spot on. By means of the European Economic Governance system member states are coming under increasing pressure to intervene in wage negotiations between employers and workers. Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs Olli Rehn has no time for collective agreements governing wages and conditions. In countries receiving support from the European emergency funds wages are the first victim: for the sake of competitiveness they must be cut by 20-30%, CAOs or no CAOs. ETUC points out correctly that such a cold-hearted, anti-social Europe is not supposed to be the aim. Even in the Lisbon Treaty you can still find provisions which point to the need for a social market economy. The SP was always sceptical of that word, ‘social’, because the Treaty’s primary emphasis is on the market, market and more market, but nevertheless the word does appear. Since the Lisbon Treaty came into force Brussels has, however, been busily running down rights ever further. So the trade unions are correct to say that the Treaty is being flouted.

The labour movement wants to see work that pays, it wants equal pay for equal work, and a social safety net in all member states. It is precisely in times of crisis that social provisions are at their most important, because they have a cushioning effect. If people know that there exists a social safety net, this will produce a certain degree of reassurance and consumer confidence will remain intact. Now that a policy of destruction is being pursued throughout Europe, little remains of such confidence. People who say that in times of recession there is no room for social policy are therefore incorrect.

There is every reason for a large-scale mobilisation. The same Lisbon Treaty created the possibility of launching a European Citizens’ Initiative, under which a total of a million signatures must be collected from a minimum number of member states, and if this is achieved the Commission is bound to respond by examining the proposal and stating what they intend to do about it. This does not guarantee success, but it would at least give the trade union movement the publicity it deserves.