Editorial by Conny Reuter, SOLIDAR Secretary General

A Taste of Weimar?

Recent elections in Germany and Austria have seen an increase in support for populist and anti-European parties. Furthermore, yesterday, media alerted us to the leading position of the National Front (FN) party in a poll on the French people’s voting intentions in next May’s elections to the European Parliament. Is this a surprise? Unfortunately not.

At SOLIDAR, we have been amongst those who since the beginning of the crisis have underlined that we need more of a social dimension in the shock treatment that is austerity. This does not just mean a social progress clause in a revised Treaty, but really focusing on the social impact of European policies, reducing poverty and exclusion, and creating quality employment, in particular for young people. See our work on active citizenship in the European Year for Citizens 2013 Alliance. Read more…

Silver Rose Awards 2013 – Celebrating Social Justice and Solidarity

Join us next week Wednesday (16 October) to celebrate the extraordinary achievements of the 2013 SOLIDAR Silver Rose Award winners in advancing social justice and solidarity at this key civil society event in the European Parliament. This year’s edition is going back to basics with a new-format conference style event which will put the winners centre-stage so that we can hear from them about the crucial topics that they are working on. If you can’t make it, the event will be livestreamed at #SilverRoseAwards.

World Day for Decent Work 2013

World Day for Decent Work 2013: Still a Long Way to Go

On Monday (7 October), we celebrated the 6th edition of the World Day for Decent Work (see actions below) amid the deepest economic and social crisis since World War II. As highlighted in the World of Work Report 2013 by the International Labour Organization (ILO), the prospect of social unrest in Europe is increasing as a result of rising of social inequality and growing unemployment.

That is why, in 2007, SOLIDAR – together with the International and European Trade Union Confederations, World Solidarity and the Global Progressive Forum – launched the Call to Action for Decent Work at the World Social Forum in Nairobi. Read more…

World Day for Decent Work 2013: More Than 200 Actions Around the Globe!

Around 200 events in roughly 60 countries were organised for this 6th edition of the World Day for Decent Work. Many SOLIDAR members and partners took action to highlight this important day:

• In Belgium, SOLIDAR member FOS – together with the Belgian Coalition for Decent Work – organised a symbolic football match under the slogan “No World Cup without workers’ rights!”. They called for Qatar – where the World Cup in 2022 will take place – to fulfill its commitments on fundamental rights and stop the exploitation of thousands of workers employed as slaves on the construction sites of the future stadiums. They asked all football supporters to sign the global petition “No World Cup without workers’ rights!”
• In Colombia, the Escuela Nacional Sindical (member of the Global Ne twork), launched its 2013 Decent Work Report.
• In Finland, SOLIDAR member SASK – together with the three central trade union organizations SAK, STTK and Akava – took action for the employment of youth and against their marginalisation from society.
• In Italy, SOLIDAR member CGIL together with CISL and UIL organised an exchange of views on the attack launched against collective bargaining at European and global levels and the changes which have occurred in some countries as a result of pressures from international and European institutions.

International Cooperation

EU Approach to Middle East and North Africa Must Promote Social Justice

On Wednesday (9 October), SOLIDAR held an interactive hearing with the European External Action Service and partners from Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine and Tunisia – focal points of SOLIDAR’s Social Justice in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Network – to prepare the next European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) Progress Reports.

Participants called on EU policy makers to adopt a coherent approach to human rights and democracy in the MENA region which does not merely serve the EU’s economic interests. They also stressed the importance of putting the needs of the MENA countries and their populations at the centre of the ENP progress reports instead of EU security policies. Read more…

Call for Academic Papers: Woman Up! Enhancing Women’s Rights in the MENA Region

This week, SOLIDAR and the Foundation for European Progressive Studies (FEPS) have launched a call for academic papers to be included in the publication "Woman up! Enhancing women’s rights in the Middle East and North Africa". Read more…

Lifelong Learning

Recognition of Professional Qualifications

SOLIDAR welcomes the European Parliament’s support in the introduction of a European "professional card" that will facilitate the mobility of EU citizens, a cornerstone of the Single Market Act. This initiative supports the recognition of professional qualifications, and extends to internships and professional training done abroad. SOLIDAR, who supported EVBB’s paper “Work-based Vocational Training a model for success”, is particularly appreciative of this initiative that recognises dual education and training systems organised with respect to a country’s needs and culture. Read more…

Members News

France
Read about Céméa’s educational film festival 2013.

EU
Read FEPS Fresh news.

Italy
Read Arci’s article on the SOLIDAR network MENA seminar.

Switzerland
Solidar Suisse called for a strike in front of the FIFA headquarters in Zurich this week entitled “Qatar: Red Card for FIFA” against the slavery like working conditions and the death of workers on the construction sites for the World Cup in Qatar.

Partners News

Read EUCIS-LLL’s reaction to the PIAAC survey: adult education, the smart investment.

Read EAEA’s statement on PIAAC results.

ETUC pledges “full support” to Tunisian workers.

Read European Alternatives’s European Campaigns against the administrative detention of migrants.

Agenda

15 October: SOLIDAR Round Table: Decent Work and Quality Employment for NEETs, European Parliament
16 October: SOLIDAR Silver Rose Awards 2013, European Parliament
13-14 November: SOLIDAR International Cooperation Forum, Brussels

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