ETF disappointed by President Juncker’s weak vision to obtain a more social Europe
Commenting on President Juncker’s State of the Union speech of Wednesday 13 September 2017, Eduardo Chagas, General Secretary of the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF) said
“Only one small and feeble reference to social dumping in a one hour State of the Union speech, shifting the responsibilities to the Member States. And this three years after the start of his mandate and after expressing, year after year, his determination to obtain fairness in the labour market and ensure workers the same pay for the same work in the same place. So far Juncker’s words have only been paying lip service and we have not seen any meaningful action coming from the European Commission to put these words into practice. ETF however is determined to continue its fight against social dumping and will not cease its efforts to put it high on the political agenda at both national and European level.”
ETF President Frank Moreels added
“Today’s Europe lacks vigour to eradicate social dumping in the labour market, an unfair practice that hits in particular the transport sector. We believe the European Commission has to gear up its actions if it is serious about achieving fairness in the European labour market before the end of its mandate, for example with the creation of a European database to enable European wide inspections in the road sector. I welcome President Juncker’s first reference to set up a common Labour Authority for ensuring fairness in our single market. But allow me to remain sceptical about the President’s words until I have seen them being translated into real action.”
For more information, please contact Koen Reynaerts, ETF Communications Officer, E-Mail: k.reynaerts@etf-europe.org, Mobile: +32 470 93 05 90
