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ETF Executive Committee backs Spanish dockers’ struggle as EU Port Social Dialogue is put on hold

Statement

Today the ETF Executive Committee (EC) adopted a resolution expressing full support to its affiliates, FeSMC-UGT and FSC-CCOO, and to all Spanish Dockers in their struggle to fight wild liberalisation of port labour. 

This struggle concerns all transport workers. We are extremely worried about the contents of the proposed reforms as well as by the way the governement is proceeding, ignoring the solutions put forward by social partners. This goes against all basic principles to build fair transport in Europe. Today we clearly state  our determination to provide the support of our 3.5 million-workers-strong organisation to the Spanish dockers, no matter how long this dispute lasts” said ETF President Lars Lindgren.  

The endorsement by the ETF Executive Committee comes the day after the workers’ delegation has put on hold the European social dialogue in the port sector. 

We acknowledge the fact that since its establishement, back in 2013, our sectoral social dialogue committee (SSDC) has made substantial progress on meaningful issues for the sector”, said ETF’s spokesperson in the SSDC Monique Verbeeck. “In the current political framework it is however impossible for us, as representatives of port workers in Europe, to be part in an EU-wide dialogue while social dialogue in Spain is being disregarded”. 

HERE LINK TO ‘ETF_Executive_Committee_Resolution_in_support_of_Spanish ‘

ON THE GROUND

Statement

The EC Fair Labour Mobility Package, a step in the right direction

The ETF welcomes the Fair Labour Mobility Package presented yesterday by the European Commission. Mobile and non-EU workers are essential to the fabric of the internal market and the possibility to work in another EU country is an invaluable freedom. However, labour mobility only works in a spirit of fairness and upwards social convergence.