Monday 28 January 2013

Jean Lambert statement on TU rights



Martin Francis via lists.greenparty.org.uk 



Speaking after an event to mark the 40th anniversary of the European Trade 
Union Confederation (ETUC), Ms Lambert criticised David Cameron’s position
that the EU should be all about promoting the interests of big business
rather than people.

She said: “Giving working people the freedom to live and ply their trade
anywhere in the EU, safe in the knowledge that their workplace rights are
the same across the union, and will be upheld, is a cornerstone of what the
EU's all about.

"But David Cameron wants to repatriate workers' rights: by branding them as
a a 'burden on business' he wants to see a race to the bottom in which
every EU nation makes up its own rules on workers' rights - and standards
for everyone fall as a result.

"Greens and trade unionists have a very different vision: one in which the
EU is based on a shared, robust, set of core standards on such matters as
protecting the health and safety of workers, rights for part-time and
agency workers, time spent at work, and so on.

"I'm delighted to be at this ETUC conference in Madrid today, along with
hundreds who want to see moves towards a more equal Europe and investment
in creating new jobs for a sustainable future, rather than pushing
austerity."

No comments:

Post a Comment