The ETUC is urging EU leaders meeting tomorrow to agree and implement without delay or conditions proposals to help workers, companies and public services hit by the coronavirus crisis

The European Council will consider on Thursday a 540bn support package that includes the SURE job and income protection scheme, and how to fund the economic recovery. 

With over 40 million workers now temporarily or permanently in unemployment since the crisis began, there can be no repeat of the days-long wrangling between member states’ finance ministers witnessed at the Eurogroup earlier this month.

The ETUC insists also that the 100bn Euro allocated to SURE is ringfenced for employment support (not healthcare which is the purpose of ESM funding), is implemented in social dialogue with trade unions, covers not only the crisis period but also the recovery, and it is universally accessible by all workers and companies in all EU countries.  

It also calls for employers and trade unions to be fully involved at all levels in the lifting of containment measures and for this to be started with the implementation of the ‘Communication on a European Roadmap towards lifting COVID-19 containment measures’.

Read the full article here.