Editorial by Conny Reuter

Join Us and Support the People in The Philippines!

This week’s emphasis on the natural catastrophe that took place last Friday (8 November), with one of the worst typhoons ever hitting The Philippines, definitely put our “European emergencies” into perspective, with over 2 million people affected and an estimated death toll of 10,000 people. The people suffering from the typhoon are in dire need of support and solidarity!

SOLIDAR is supporting our partner LEARN, an NGO in The Philippines that provides various services primarily to workers, both from the private and public sectors or formal and informal labour. LEARN has extensive experience with relief operations as shown by their support to the victims of the 2009 typhoon Ondoy. Read more…

EU-wide Solidarity Actions for The Philippines

Last Friday (8 November), one of the worst typhoons ever hit the Philippines, affecting over 2 million people with an estimated death toll of more than 10,000 people. SOLIDAR members throughout Europe have started solidarity actions, with Alianza por la Solidaridad (Spain), ARCS/ARCI and AUSER (Italy), ASB and AWO International (Germany), ASB and Volkshilfe (Austria), FOS (Belgium), Norwegian People’s Aid, Olof Palme International Center (Sweden) and SOLIDAR Suisse launching fundraising activities. In parallel, ASB Germany, ASB Austria and SOLIDAR Suisse deployed missions to the affected regions in the Philippines. On 13 November, members met in Brussels to coordinate joint actions and share information, LEARN (The Philippines) joined this meeting to give a firsthand report on the most urgent needs.

Social Affairs

European Semester 2014: Towards a More Social EMU?

Although the introduction of a social scoreboard in the 2014 Annual Growth Survey – adopted by the College of Commissioners on Wednesday- represents an acknowledgment of the need to reinforce the social dimension of the Economic Monetary Union, SOLIDAR calls for putting more emphasis on the social policy priorities of the Europe 2020 Strategy by using the scoreboard to develop concrete indications for Members States. Read SOLIDAR’s full response…

Enhancing the Social Dimension of the European Semester

CESI, together with SOLIDAR, Caritas Europa and Diakonie Deutschland, organised a breakfast meeting on the social dimension of the Economic and Monetary Union in the European Parliament together with Thomas Mann MEP on 14 November. Discussions focused on how social partners and civil society need an enhanced role in the EU’s Economic and Monetary Union. Read more…

New Public Procurement Rules: Clarifications Needed to Guarantee Quality Social Services

On Wednesday (13 November), SOLIDAR participated in a hearing on the new public procurement directive on behalf of Social Services Europe which took place in the European Parliament, organised by EASPD and MEP Sirpa Pietikäinen. SOLIDAR’s overall assessment of the new text is positive, but we regret that the formulation of the article regarding contracts for social and health services does not make it compulsory for Member States to award social services on the basis of quality criteria as well as users’ involvement. Read more…

International Cooperation

SOLIDAR Launches Campaign on Freedom of Association

SOLIDAR launched its global policy campaign on Freedom of Association at an event on workers’ rights in Pakistan on Wednesday. This campaign will work on reducing the reversal in freedom of peaceful assembly and association in much of the world and support the construction of just and democratic societies worldwide.

At the event, which took place in the Aventure Cinema in Brussels, Director Ammar Aziz presented two of his documentary shorts – made for SOLIDAR partner Labour Education Foundation, Silver Rose Award winners in 2011 – which look at issues facing different sectors of workers in Pakistan (Freedom of Association in Pakistan), followed by a look more specifically at the life and struggle of home-based women bangle-makers (Daughters of a Lesser God).

European Progressives Visit Morocco

On 14-15 November, SOLIDAR is facilitating a field visit to Morocco. The field visit is the second part of a larger gathering of progressives from both sides of the Mediterranean. The delegation, joined by Hannes Swoboda (MEP and S&D Group President), Veronique de Keyser (MEP, Belgium) and Javier Moreno Sanchez (Global Progressive Forum), hosted by Union Socialiste des Forces Populaires (USFP), met to discuss the democratic and security challenges within the current social, political and economic developments in Morocco and the region.

To promote SOLIDAR’s newly launched campaign on Freedom of association in the Middle East and North Africa (see article above), Conny Reuter, SOLIDAR Secretary General, underlined in the meeting the need of involving the emerging progressive civil society in the transition processes in the region, the need for respecting human and social rights, promoting a new socio-economic development paradigm and for peaceful conflict solutions. Read more…

Lifelong Learning

Video launch: Decent Work for European Youth

The Youth Job Patrol project partners, FIC, CGIL and IDEAS Institute, have developed three videos showcasing the current situation of young workers in Denmark, Italy and Ireland. These videos provide testimonies by young people on the precarious working conditions that they are facing in their respective countries. These young people are four times more likely than adults to be working poor and have a low level of knowledge on their labour rights.

To change this situation, the Youth Job Patrol project has developed case studies that showcase the pressure of working conditions on young people; a collation of best practices on increasing knowledge of young people on their rights-at-work, and organised a transfer of Youth Job Patrol methodology, developed in Denmark, to ensure decent working condition for young people.

Members News

UK
War on Want’s Christmas shop is now open.

Switzerland
Solidar Suisse is now selling card-presents to support farmers in El Salvador.

Partners News

The campaign for a Financial Transaction Tax (FTT), of which SOLIDAR is a key supporter, has launched a new website. Sign the petition to governments to finally introduce an FTT! Let your voice be heard and sign the petition now!

The Global Unions have launched their Statement to the 9th WTO Ministerial Conference in English, French and Spanish. Take immediate action on national level to raise support with your governments for this Statement, arrange meetings of your government’s delegation (Minister and Missions) with the international tr ade union delegation at Bali, provide help with arranging interviews with journalists from your country with interests on trade, employment and development.

The Spring Alliance are holding an event on 5 December entitled “Go green, Be social” – How to tackle climate change greening our taxes while preserving social protection systems?

Read European Civil Society Platform on Lifelong Learning (EUCIS-LLL) news.

Read the Progressive Economy’s newsletter.

Read UNRWA Syria Humanitarian response updates.

Agenda

13-14 November: SOLIDAR International Cooperation Forum, Brussels
13 November: Film & debate – Workers Rights in Pakistan, Cinema Aventure, Brussels
15 November: SOLIDAR Field Visit on social and professional integration in Morocco, followed by national seminar on EU policy monitoring and cooperation, Marrakech, Morocco.
27 November: European Year for Citizens Alliance 2013 high-level event, European Parliament

SOLIDAR is a European network of 60 NGOs working to advance social justice in Europe and worldwide. SOLIDAR voices the concerns of its member organisations to the EU and international institutions across the policy sectors social affairs, international cooperation and lifelong learning. For more info www.solidar.org