Editorial by Conny Reuter, SOLIDAR Secretary General

New Commission – New Game?

Brussels, 5th September 2014

If the leaked list of yesterday is not mere fiction, we are not the only ones who should feel concerned. How does this list match the commitments made by Commission President Juncker in his speech to the European Parliament in Strasburg before his election (you can read the guidelines here). There is a French saying “Promises only bind those who believe in them”, but in this case those promises were made to the democratically elected European institution which is the European Parliament.

First of all, there is no gender balance when only 9 out of the 28 Commissioners-designate are women. Responsibility for this clearly lies with, the Member States. The EP could send out a strong signal if it could agree on an intergroup on these issues, and not leave it to the women’s committee alone.

Secondly there is the idea of giving more power to the Commissioners’ Vice-Presidents. Will this mean that we have first and second class Commissioners? Looking at the portfolios, EMU, the European semester and social dialogue are separate from Employment and Social Affairs. The European semester of the out-going Commissioner Andor was more than a political sign, it showed that there was more awareness of the social impact of the crisis and led to the Employment package and Social Investment package. In the current proposal there appears to be a profound misunderstanding when we see that the Portuguese Commissioner-designate has a background as an investment banker from Goldman Sachs and contributed to the austerity policies in his country. We need social investment not speculation that could lead to the weakening of what remains of our European Social model and Welfare State.

Two of the portfolios which have disappeared are education and enlargement. Education is the most relevant resource in Europe, a universal right, and is about much more than just mobility and the validation of skills and competences. And yes we hear of enlargement fatigue in the old Member States, but shall the EU really send out the sign that the club is closed? Where will our neighbours in South-East Europe turn to?

Europe does not need more free markets or more liberalism; it needs social justice if we want to regain the confidence of the citizens.

Dear Commission President, please think again and stick to your promises!

Social Affairs

Degrowth, Décroissance, Postwachstum – (Why) Is growth needed?

International Degrowth Conference in Leipzig – moving beyond the growth imperative

4th September 2014

From 2-6 September 2014, 2,500 people gathered in Leipzig for the Fourth International Conference on Degrowth for Ecological Sustainability and Social Equity, focused on concrete steps towards a society beyond the growth imperative. The conference will provide a platform for scientific debate, exchanges between activists and economic pioneers as well as creative approaches to the subject. It is part of an international cycle of events: there have been conferences on degrowth in Paris in 2008, Barcelona in 2010 and Venice and Montreal in 2012.

What is degrowth and (why) do we need it?

Read the full article here

Negotiating Improvements for working carers of adults (NICA)

4th September 2014

SOLIDAR member GFTU and other trade unions, labour movements and academic partners of the project NICA met in Sofia, Bulgaria for a project consortium meeting hosted by our Bulgarian partner the Balkan Institute for Labour and Social Policy (BILSP) to make an evaluation of the work done so far and to discuss the organisation of the final conference that will be carried out by SOLIDAR.

Read the full article here

Standards as a beauty contest between EU and US?

5th September 2014

While public interest in the debate on TTIP, its promises and risks, continue to grow, US Ambassador Anthony Gardner, speaking at a public event this week, referred to concerns over the risks for social, environmental and other standards as “not a beauty contest” between the EU and the US. Nobody ever thought they were. Surely he should get back to the facts and take these concerns seriously?

It is a fact that some standards are higher in the US and others are higher in Europe, but there is no doubt that when it comes to social protection schemes, freedom of association for trade unions, the right to organise and the delivery of social services, there is an important difference between the US and the EU. Public opinion is very sensitive on this issue: what is more important, the well-being of investors or the well-being of citizens? The Lisbon-Treaty is clear on this; ISDS is not, as, for example, a Dutch government study shows.

Nevertheless such polemics show the need for a real transatlantic civil dialogue which respects the arguments and the concerns that we (and others) have pointed out. Read our briefing entitled ‘Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership: Our crown jewels for sale?’.

Education and Lifelong Learning

“Dual education: A Bridge over Troubled Waters?” What the new study tells us about VET/apprenticeships?

4th September 2014

There is no single definition of dual education or the dual system, but the term is commonly used to describe apprenticeships and other forms of vocational education and training (VET) combining school and company based training. Dual education has been highly praised, but is it truly an effective solution to youth unemployment, the skills gap and economic challenges, a bridge over troubled water, as it is often seen?

Read the full article here

International Cooperation

Corruption: an Obstacle to achieving Social Justice

5th September 2014

A recent report published by The ONE Campaign says that “at least $1 trillion is being taken out of developing countries each year through a web of corrupt activity” that “involves shady deals for natural resources, the use of anonymous shell companies, money laundering and illegal tax evasion”. This massive amount is taken from developing countries’ budgets, eroding resources that should be used to fight poverty and inequality and to fund key public services such as education, health, social protection floors and comprehensive social security systems.

Read the full article here

Members News

Our member the General Federation of Trade Unions (GFTU), UK, has published a booklet entitled ‘Building Together 2014-2015’. To celebrate its 115th year of successfully supporting trade unions, the GFTU has launched its most extensive range of services and support to date. The offer to affiliates includes free education and research, a choice of 130 customised training courses for unions, new e-learning facilities, youth and community engagement events, mentoring training, neurodiversity training, cultural and manufacturing campaigning, support for union education officers and general secretaries, international work and media, accreditation routes, and much much more. You can read the full version here

The EUCIS-LLL steering committee met on 3 September, and decided to implement the 2014 work programme as planned in the grant agreement. They are looking for a project officer, a policy officer and an events and communications officer. Click here for more information.

AWO Germany Chairman Wolfgang Stadler has spoken out about the shortage in childcare facilities in Germany. He has called for improvements to be made after the meeting between the federal and the regional ‘länder’ governments that will take place on 6 November 2014. You can read the full article here

Norwegian People’s Aid organised an outdoor solidarity concert for Gaza on Wednesday evening attended by thousands of people in Oslo. The concert was put on by Norwegian People’s Aid and Fagforbundet in cooperation with several Norwegian unions. Many of Norway’s most famous artists contributed to the concert, while Secretary General Liv Tørres, medic Mads Gilbert and Fagforbundet’s leader Mette Nord gave speeches. Read more.

The European Association for the defence of Human Rights (AEDH) published a press release ‘Gaza: After the ceasefire, the EU will pay for not having to make a decision’, in which they express their regret that the EU settled for a wait-and-see statement during the Council’s meeting on 30 August 2014 even though more than 2,000 Palestinians have died and more than 10,000 have been wounded, and a sustainable and directly negotiated settlement is still not in sight. The international organisations who claim to represent the “international community” – of which the EU prides itself on being a part of – must assess the extent of the danger that a continuation of the Israeli policy implies. Read more

Other News

TUAC Released a Press Statement entitled ‘OECD Employment Outlook 2014: Austerity and the wrong structural reform policies impede growth and employment creation’ in which they stress that in a context of weak aggregate demand and disappointing job creation in most economies, austerity policies and supply-side interventions are failing to boost growth and employment. Read more

The International Labour Rights Forum has launched an appeal to support Andy Hall, a British citizen, working to help empowering migrant workers in Thailand to defend their rights. Andy Hall is preparing for a trial that could cost him $10 million and seven years of his life. All because he spoke out about abusive working conditions at a factory in Thailand owned by Natural Fruit, a company that ships processed pineapple products around the world. Don’t let Natural Fruit hide its misconduct with intimidation and harassment! Send a message demanding it to drop the charges and fix what’s wrong in these factories! Read more< /p>

The ITUC is seriously concerned for the safety of two human rights investigators who vanished in Qatar. “Two British nationals were being followed and harassed by Qatari security agents as they documented extreme violations of workers’ rights in the Gulf state. They then disappeared as they prepared to leave their hotel for Doha airport to leave the country on 31August”, reported the ITUC. On Friday 5 September, human rights activists gathered outside the Embassy of Qatar in Brussels to demand their immediate release. Read the ITUC press statement and a protest letter to the Qatari authorities here.