Defending Social Europe

Jane Carolan

Congress will oppose any reduction in rights from European Directives on employment law, health and safety and equality, through information briefings for unions and joint work with the TUC and European trade union organisations.

Moving the UNISON motion, Jane Carolan warned that Europe as an institution was no friend of working people.

"Since its inception, the EU has proclaimed the value of free trade above all, culminating in the creation of the single market. The EU is a state practising the policies of neo-liberalism", said Jane.

"EU directives usually backed by the British Government have encouraged employers to exploit deregulated labour markets to play one part of the workforce against the other and drive down employment costs - that's our wages and pensions".

Jane outlined the Viking, Laval, Rueffert and Luxembourg judgements which restrict the ability of unions to take collective action in defence of collective agreements. Companies are regulated in their country of origin, not where they operate.

And now after the financial collapse, workers across Europe in Greece, Spain, Portugal, Italy and Ireland are facing draconian cuts in public spending.

Commending the STUC action plan, Jane said, "As trade unionists we need to defend the gains of our class over the past 100 years and our own rights as trade unionists".

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