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Scottish Campaign against Euro-Federalism |
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30 October EU Summit dodges climate change commitment EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - Another European Union summit has come and gone, yielding only the vaguest of hints on how much cash the bloc is willing to stump up to help the developing world tackle the effects of climate change. EU premiers and presidents meeting in Brussels on Friday (30 October) thrashed out a compromise deal in which the bloc has agreed that industrialised countries should commit between €22 billion and €50 billion a year for climate adaptation and carbon emissions mitigation in the third world. But, under pressure from Germany, what share of this global amount should come from Europe's public coffers - essentially Europe's offer ahead of UN climate talks in Copenhagen in December - remains unmentioned. All that is said in the summit's final communique is that the EU will contribute it's "fair share" of this sum. A commission paper issued in September suggests that such a fair share would lie in a range between €2 and €15 billion a year, but there is no reference to this paper in the summit document. The sums do not compare favourably with the amounts assessed as being necessary by development NGOs and third-world countries themselves: annual flows of €110 billion a year from the global north to south, of which the EU should be offering €35 billion. 30 October EU treaty closer to ratification after Czech deal agreed EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - The EU came a step closer to full ratification of the Lisbon Treaty after it managed to agree to a sensitive demand by the Czech Republic on the new institutional rules without upsetting other member states. "The European Council has been able to take a decision and agree on what has been asked for by the Czech Republic," said Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, currently heading the EU, at the end of the first day of a two-day summit in Brussels on Thursday (29 October). The institutional debate, which elbowed other issues such as climate change from the negotiating table, centred around a recent surprise move by Czech President Vaclav Klaus to make obtaining an opt-out from a rights charter a condition for his signature of the Lisbon Treaty. Mr Klaus said the Charter of Fundamental Rights, a part of the treaty, would expose the country to property claims by the 2.5 million ethnic Germans and their descendants who were expelled from the then Czechoslovakia after World War II under the so-called Benes Decrees. After intense discussions between all of these countries, and plenty of back and forth diplomacy by the Swedes, the Czechs received an opt out similar to one already obtained by Poland and the UK, and no mention is to be made of the Benes Decrees or anything to do with the past. The Slovaks got a declaration that simply confirmed that the Charter is "addressed ...to the member states only when they are implementing Union law." The solution pleased both Bratislava and Budapest, who both sold it as a victory at home for different reasons. The opt-out will be ratified after the Lisbon Treaty has gone into place and probably as part of a future EU accession treaty. The Czech president, the instigator of the political headache, is apparently also happy with the deal. "Vaclav Klaus was content with the text. He has been informed about all modifications ...and does not have a problem with it," Czech Prime Minister Jan Fischer said after the meeting. Mr Klaus, an ardent eurosceptic who dislikes the Lisbon Treaty, has been holding out against signing it, a move that would complete ratification and allow it to enter into force across the European Union. But his sheer unpredictability, typified by his 11th-hour charter demand, had made some in Brussels fear he would continue to dig in his heels anyway. is signature cannot take place before Tuesday when the Czech Constitutional Court is due to rule on the treaty's compatibility with national law. But the court is widely expected to approve the treaty. If Mr Klaus signs the treaty in November, it could come into force on 1 December. 3 October Referendum result not an endorsement of the Lisbon Treaty The Yes vote secured 67.1 per cent Responding to the result of the second referendum on the Lisbon treaty, the People's Movement pointed out that the ‘Yes’ vote was 'not a vote of support for the Lisbon Treaty and the new Europe it establishes, but instead a vote for economic recovery, jobs and stability'. The Movement stated that the referendum result shows that a need exists for 'new political forces untarnished by corruption, greed, and the ideology of power-for-power’s-sake'. Electorate bullied into 'Yes' vote - CAUEC The Campaign against the EU Constitution (CAEUC), to which the People's Movement is affliliated, has issued a press statement in reaction to the result of the second referendum on the Lisbon Treaty. In its statement, CAUEC stated that the result had been achieved by 'anti-democratic means' and pointed out that the Lisbon Treaty will 'drive cuts in public spending and make the recession worse'. 17 September 2009 TUC agrees Lisbon Treaty "would exacerbate attacks on trade unions" TUC delegates have backed a motion reaffirming TUC Congress opposition to European Court of Justice rulings such as the Viking case, which also allow for attacks on collective agreements, and “reiterates that the Lisbon Treaty would exacerbate attacks on trade unions by handing greater powers to the ECJ to interpret disputes See full composite >> 14 September 2009 TUC hears from Irish trade unionists on Lisbon Morning Star Suggestions that the Irish government is putting a different Lisbon treaty to the Irish people for their second referendum on October 2 were ridiculed by the regional secretary of the Unite union. Speaking at a TUC fringe meeting in Liverpool, Jimmy Kelly said: "There is no difference - not a sentence, not a comma or a full stop”. Mr Kelly warned that the Irish Broadcasting Commission had ruled against a previous requirement that the media should give equal coverage to the Yes and No campaigns, giving a free run to the Yes side. He noted that the Fianna Fail-led government had allowed US warplanes to refuel at Shannon airport en route to bomb targets in Iraq, making a mockery of Ireland's claim to military neutrality. "How can you believe such a government when it says that it has protected Ireland from the militarisation of the Lisbon treaty?" Mr Kelly asked. Irish Socialist Party MEP Joe Higgins asked if Ireland's first referendum would have been rejected if the treaty had really been about simply tidying up the loose ends of a few EU treaties. Mr Higgins pointed out that prior to Lisbon every member state had had an absolute veto on the opening up of health and education to privatisation. Such issues would now be carried through by qualified majority voting. And he highlighted the militarisation threat, revealing that a third of all global arms sales were carried out by just five EU-based transnationals. Frank Keoghan of the Irish People's Movement was scathing about the protocol on workers rights supposedly "won" by the Irish government, saying that it simply referred to a "special recognition of workers' rights" with no further comment. "That's it. That's all there is," he said. Mr Keoghan mocked the legal judgement that the Charter of Fundamental Rights was not absolute, being subject to market considerations. "How can fundamental rights not be absolute?" he asked. 12 September 2009 Alliance of 136 Irish local councillors: Lisbon Treaty would 'undermine democracy' Irish Times The Irish Times reports that an alliance of 136 councillors has called for a No vote in the Lisbon Treaty referendum, stating that its ratification would be a bad deal for Ireland . The alliance said ratifying Lisbon would undermine democracy. Independent Cork City Councillor Chris O'Leary said that "This is a vote about democracy, the future and how we would like to see Europe ." 4 September 2009 Support for Lisbon Treaty drops in Ireland EU Observer With just a month to go until Ireland's second referendum on the Lisbon Treaty, a poll has shown that 46 percent support a yes vote, down eight points since May. Published by the Irish Times, the TNS mrbi poll shows a rise of one point in those saying they plan to vote No to 29 percent with the Don't Knows registering at 25 percent, up seven points in comparison to a pre-summer survey. The drop in support for the treaty is reminiscent of the trend in the weeks ahead of the first referendum which resulted in a No in June last year. It is set to spur the government to place more focus on a strong and coherent campaign. However, prime minister Brian Cowen's Fianna Fail party, grappling with the devastating effects of the economic crisis, has reached an historic low in polls, garnering just 17 percent support in another poll by the Irish Times. 4 September 2009 People’s Movement: Kerry Radio poll finds 66 per cent against Lisbon People’s Movement from traditionally independent rural Kerry reports a radio poll giving 66 per cent against Lisbon. 30 August 2009 YES side to outspend No side by 10-1 The Irish edition of the Sunday Times reported that supporters of the Lisbon Treaty are set to out-spend the No side by 10 to 1 in the referendum campaign. An estimate of the budgets for the Yes side indicates it will spend at least €2.4m, compared with the No campaigners' €270,000. 29 August 2009 Commission to impose road tolls across Europe The Newcastle Journal reports that the EU could force the introduction of road tolls across Europe as part of the long-term transport strategy currently being developed by the European Commission. Open Europe Director Lorraine Mullally is quoted saying, "If Ireland votes Yes to the Lisbon Treaty in its second referendum in early October, the UK Government will lose its ability to veto any proposals it doesn't like the sound of [in transport policy]. Congestion charges and road tolls should be decided regionally or locally and as close as possible to the people who will have 28 August 2009 EU Observer Slow credit flows spark worries over EU recovery Bank credit to businesses in the eurozone shrank further last month despite current favorable conditions on the money markets, sparking fears over the true state of the economy in Europe. Loans to businesses and households in July slowed to the record lowest annual growth ever, according to figures released by the European Central Bank (ECB), the main financial institution of the 16-strong currency union, released on Thursday (27 August). In the private sector, credit provided rose by just 0.6 percent compared with July 2008 while economists expected a 1.3 percent annual expansion. In June, loans to businesses amounted to the then minimum of 1.5 percent. Economists interpret the results as a proof that banks do not provide the cheap money offered by the ECB and other institutions automatically to firms and households which could kick off investments and stronger consumption. Since the economic crisis broke out last year, the Frankfurt-based bank has pumped a significant amount of liquidity into the eurozone's banking system, including €442 billion in one-year loans in late June. Leading politicians and financial authorities urged banks to lend the extra cash further for the benefit of the real economy. But Thursday's figures "illustrate how fragile the ongoing recovery is," said Carsten Brzeski from Dutch bank ING, as quoted by AFP. "Of course, a strong slowdown in credit growth is quite normal when the economy is in the middle of a severe recession but the credit cycle needs to follow improved sentiment soon to get the recovery really going." 5 August 2009 Majority of Icelanders turn against the EU Less than two weeks after Iceland formally applied to join the European Union, a Capacent Gallup poll published in the country's largest daily, Morgunbladid, has shown that most Icelanders are cold on membership. A majority of 48.5 percent is now opposed to entering the EU, 34.7 percent of people are in favor and 16.9 percent are undecided, the survey shows. The study was conducted between 16 and 27 July 2009 among 1,273 people. The new poll suggests a swing to the No camp of almost 10 per cent since the last survey, conducted by the same company in spring. A slim majority in the newly elected Icelandic parliament, the Althing, decided last month (16 July) to back a bid for EU membership. Earlier this year riots broke out as the government sought to enforce massive cuts in the wake of the collapse of the Icelandic banking system. 17 July 2009 CSU threatens not to support German ratification law for Lisbon Treaty Handelsblatt reports that the CSU threatened not to support the law, as it wants to secure more power for the German Parliament following the Constitutional Court decision criticising the Lisbon Treaty. CSU General Secretary Dobrindt said that Angela Merkel's timetable to have the law passed this summer is not binding for his party, adding that "content goes before the timetable". Meanwhile a comment piece by FAZ notes that "in the past euro-scepticism effectively existed in Britain and Scandinavia . Today it includes considerable parts of the elites in Eastern Europe and wide sections in Austria , the Netherlands , France and also in Germany . The German Lisbon Judgement wasn't coming from a maverick Court, but was a legal extension from public debate in a big member state”. 8 July 2009 Irish Dail agrees 2 October as date for second referendum The Irish Dail passed legislation through all stages in a single sitting on 8 July. The Bill makes provision for a referendum on the 28 amendment to the Irish Constitution to take place on Friday 2 October. 3 July 2009 Europe Minister Glenys Kinnock tells Lords Irish guarantees not legally binding Lady Kinnock assured the House of Lord that the guarantees secured by the Irish were ‘not legally binding’ and did not change the Lisbon Treaty. The Irish electorate would be voting on exactly the same treaty as in 2008. David Miliband told the Commons that ‘every head of state agrees that these guarantees do not change the treaty”. Labour MP for Stirling Michael Connerty commented: ‘If these is a legally binding decision and does not need ratification [by the British House of Commons], why does it need to be put in a protocol ? Is it a stitch up to get round Irish concerns ?’ 30 June 2009 German Constitutional Court ruling suspends ratification of Lisbon Treaty The 147 page-long ruling suspends the ratification process of the treaty until the new provisions requested by the court come into force. Germany's parliament voted overwhelmingly in favour of the treaty last year, but the final step of ratification, signature by President Horst Koehler, had not been taken due to the court challenge. Tuesday's decision may have an impact on the ratification calendar, with Ireland, Poland and the Czech Republic also not having completed the process. The German parliament (Bundestag) only has a few days left until summer recess and there are general elections coming up in September. However, the parliament is planning an extraordinary session on 26 August to examine a draft law on strengthening parliamentary oversight. This should then be voted on 8 September. The ruling argued that the powers of the German Parliament would currently be critically undermined by the Treaty—in particular by its provision giving the Council of Ministers the ability to secure new powers, under qualified majority voting, without a new Treaty. The judgement also identified the German parliament’s lack of powers to scrutinise and take decisions on EU legislation in circumstances where it deemed the EU parliament itself not to have meaningful democratic powers. The legislation proposed by the German government is designed to give the German parliament greater powers of scrutiny in order to meet these objections. Former MEP Bonde has argued that such legislation would provide no guarantee at all of democratic control. 16 June 2009
Ian Davidson MP states need to "re-visit the question of a referendum on the EU constitution" Labour MP for Glasgow South West Ian Davidson said that the results of the European elections were not solely due to the MPs' expenses scandal, adding "It's perfectly clear that being associated with ever-closer union is toxic and I would have thought the Government would want to take that into account. I don't think the Government's commitment to democratic renewal will be taken seriously until we re-visit the question of a referendum on the European constitution." 14 June 2009
Uncertainty over legal format of Irish Lisbon guarantees
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS – EU foreign ministers discussed the legal guarantees being sought by the Irish government on the Lisbon Treaty on Monday (15 June) but disagreement remains over how they will be presented. The Irish government is keen that the legal guarantees in the areas of taxation, neutrality and social affairs be attached as protocols to the next available treaty – possible Croatia's accession treaty – and then ratified by all member states, enshrining the guarantees into European law. Ireland is struggling to get all member states to accept legally binding protocols to be enshrined in EU law However some member states – such as the UK – fear this could reopen the domestic debate on the Lisbon Treaty. They are instead pushing for a legal declaration from EU leaders at a European Council later this week (18-19 June). Czech European Affairs Minister Stefan Fule confirmed on Monday that a number of details related to the guarantees – including their "legal form" – needed further discussion. See comments by Peter Bonde here 18 May 2009
Hundreds of thousands of workers march across EU to protest crisis response
Hundreds of thousands of workers took to the streets of European capitals over the weekend as the economic crisis squeezes wages and jobs across the continent in a series of official actions led by European trade union leaders. Some 350,000 people marched through the streets of Berlin, Brussels, Madrid and Prague, with smaller demonstrations elsewhere, including Birmingham and Bucharest, according to figures from the European Trade Union Confederation. 15 May 2009 Eurozone recession deepens EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - A new survey released by the European Central Bank (ECB) on Thursday (14 May) suggests the euro area economy will contract by twice as much this year as previously predicted, dampening recent talk of the green shoots of recovery and an end to the recession. Conducted among 52 forecasting experts from across Europe, the ECB survey predicts GDP growth for the 16-member area is likely to shrink by 3.4 percent in 2009, a significant deterioration on a similar February forecast of a 1.7 percent decline. 29 April-1 May Polish Shipbuilders Protest at EU Competition Rules Warsaw police attacked several hundred shipbuilding workers with tear gas and rubber batons when they tried to protest outside the Congress of the European People’s Party. The shipbuilders were angry at the imposition of EU competition rules that has forced the Polish government to end aid to its shipyards and sack thousands of employees. Prominent leaders of the centre right party attending the Congress included the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the French prime minister Francois Fillon, the Polish Prime minister Donald Tusk and the President of EU Commission Barroso. A number of the shipbuilde4rs were injured. Protests are expected to continue. 23 April EU parliament approves Directive on Cross Border Health Care On 23 April the European Parliament approved a Directive to permit a market in cross border health care. This enables patients from one member state to secure treatment in another member state and obliges the member state of the patient to pay for the treatment. Labour MP Gisella Stuart commented: “I bet you my wages that in 10-15 years, if this Directive goes through, we cannot have a generally tax-funded NHS system". 22 April 2009 Bundesbank Chair attacks EU Competition Committee Axel Weber, head of the German Central Bank, attacked the EU’s Competition Commission, for imposing requirements on banks receiving state aid that sell off external subsidiaries. Germany’s second biggest bank, Commerzbank, has received 18 billion euro. The German government is reported to be proposing further aid of 1,000 euro to buy bad debts—in the context of massive decline in German GDP at annualised rate of 8.2 per cent in final quarter of 2008. Weber claimed that the forced sale of subsidiaries would set back ‘financial integration’ (that is, concentration). Financial Times. 4 April 2009 Prague meeting of EU finance ministers and central bankers make 2017 date for Britain to balance books EU finance ministers meeting Prague last week warned the UK to cut its budget deficit to the EU Stability and Growth Pact limit of three per cent within four years. The UK government recorded a government deficit of £78 billion last year, equivalent to 5.4 per cent of Gross Domestic Product, and the Stability and Growth Pact limits budget deficits to three per cent of GDP which currently adds up to £43 billion. Cuts of this magnitude will demand drastic cuts in Britain’s welfare state. 3 April 2009 European Central Bank reduces rates to 1.25 per cent The ECB disappointed those wanting fiscal stimulus by reducing its rate by only .25 per cent while Eurozone unemployment rose to 8.5 per cent. 26 March 2009 Collapse of Czech government halts Lisbon ratification Senate vote to conclude ratification of Lisbon Treaty postponed till May (Financial Times) 19 March 2009 No2EU platform launched At a meeting in the House of Commons Bob Crow launched the No2EU electoral platform for the 2009 EU electionsBob Crow said that millions of working people felt abandoned by the main political parties and needed a voice to represent them. “The renamed EU constitution, now called the Lisbon Treaty, would still enshrine right wing Thatcherite economic policies as constitutional goals at a time when this discredited neo-liberal agenda is failing apart. “We were promised a referendum on this issue by this government in the 2005 election yet it has been taken away from us and the Treaty was rammed through parliament with Lib Dem and Tory help, said the transport union RMT general secretary. 6 March 2009 EU Central Bank holds rates at 1.5 per cent On the day that the Bank of England cut sterling interest rates to 0.5 per cent, the ECB set its rate at 1.5 per cent 28 February 2009 EU Central Bank calls for cut backs in public spending Director J C Trichet announces that ‘governments should pursue courageous policies of spending restraint especially inb the case of public sector wages’. His statement was widely interpreted as supporting the beleaguered Irish government in enforcing 10 to 15 per cent cuts. 24 February 2009 Splits in EU on reflation Financial Times reports splits between Germany and its allies (Austria and the Netherlands) and Eastern and Southern members over scale of any stimulus package—with Germany opposing major spending in the East 22 February 2009 150,000 protest in Dublin at neo-liberal crisis measures At the biggest demonstration seen in Dublin for many years 150,00 people showed their anger against the measures being taken by the Irish government to cut public sector wages and increase pensions deductions. Organised by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions the rally heard speakers attack the tough monetarist policies of the European Central Bank. They stressed the inability of the Irish government to be able to restimulate the economy through fiscal measures as a result of its membership of the eurozone. Unemployment in the Irish Republic is already at its highest for forty years. 20 February 2009 Labour MEPs endorse plans for a European Army Labour MEPs have backed a European Parliament report calling for an "integrated European Armed Force". The report, authored by German MEP Karl von Wogau called for "further development of co-operation between national armed forces so that they become increasingly synchronised. This process and the armed forces should be given the name SAFE - Synchronised Armed Forces 4 February 2009 Striking oil workers are fighting against EU rules The use of Italian contract workers at Lindsey oil refinery in Lincolnshire is the latest example of employers across Europe using EU rules on the free movement of capitial, goods, services and labour in order to on the offensive and undermine organised labour, Brian Denny argues in the Morning Star. http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/index.php/news/features/underminin 30 January 2009 Oil workers walk out across Britain against social dumping Mass walkouts by energy workers across Britain in protest at the use of Italian workers on a contract at Lindsey Oil Refinery is the latest example of employers across European using foreign labour to drive down wages and conditions. Four recent cases at the European Court of Justice Laval, Viking, Ruffert and Luxembourg has handed huge powers to employers to bring in contract labour at lower rates of pay and on worse conditions. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7859968.stm 20 December 2008 CALMAC FACES HEAVY FINES On 20 December the Sunday Herald revealed that EU legal action threatens to put the public ferry company Caledonian MacBrayne out of business. Using information from an internal government database secured under the Freedom of Information Act, the Herald reports that the Scottish government has been facing legal action since 2005. It adds that the threat of legal action has not gone away - far from it. "The accusation is that subsidy payments for lifeline ferry services in Scotland have been made illegally," records the Scottish government's up-to-date database of all legal disputes with the EC, released under freedom of information legislation. "If found guilty, the commission could request that CalMac, which is wholly owned by ministers and does not have large reserves of money, be forced to repay subsidy which would potentially bankrupt the company and could leave our most fragile peripheral communities with no links to the mainland - or other island communities." 12 December 2008 Ireland instructed to hold second referendum before 31 October 2009 In the communiqué issued after the 12 December summit the EU Council committed itself to ‘take note of the concerns of the Irish people as set out by the Irish Taoiseach in Appendix 1’. This appendix was based on a survey undertaken by the Irish government and demonstrates, contrary to claims by the pro-Lisbon lobby, that the NO vote was founded a very firm understanding of the issues. These are listed as concerns that the treaty gave the EU power to interfere in tax policy, that it would compromise Irish neutrality, that it would undermine public service provision in health and education and that Treaty’s overriding commitment to free market principles provided the legal basis for restricting trade union rights. No revision of text Under the terms of the communiqué there will be no revision of the text of the treaty. Instead the communiqué states that the Council will give ‘legal guarantees’ on the three issues: that there will be no changes in tax policy without the approval of the Irish government; that the treaty will have no implications for Ireland’s traditional policy of neutrality and that the rights set out in the EU constitution would no be used in any way contrary to the rights to ‘life, education and family’ set out in the Irish Constitution. In addition, every member state will continue to have the right to a national as a member of the EU Commission. There is, however, no ‘legal guarantee’ on workers rights. There is simply a statement that ‘the high importance which the Council attaches to questions mentioned in Appendix 1 concerning the rights of workers will be confirmed’. There is also a preliminary sentence that could be used to minimise any obligations. ‘The concerns expressed [in Appendix 1] will be treated in a satisfactory manner as regards Ireland and the other member states’. In other words, the concerns of the Irish people will have to be balanced against those of other states – none of which were given the opportunity of a referendum. “Guarantees are worthless” Frank Keoghan, Secretary of the Irish People’s Movement, commented that the ‘guarantees are worthless. The EU is rapidly moving towards a post democratic stage’. Leader of the Irish Labour Party, Eamon Gilmore, expressed his concern at the vagueness of commitments on workers rights and sought greater clarification. The Paris Summit set a timetable for the full and final implementation of the Treaty for 1 January 2010. There had originally been pressure for the Irish to vote before the EU elections in June. This was opposed by the Irish government on the grounds that it would take longer to create a climate of opinion in favour of the Treaty. 15 September 2008 EU Finance ministers reject stimulus package European Union finance ministers meeting in the south of France for informal discussions over the 13-14 September weekend on a unified response to the economic crisis agreed to boost loans to small and medium-sized businesses but ruled out any US or Japan-style major stimulus package to ward off recession. Jean-Claude Juncker, Luxembourg's prime minister, finance minister and chair of the eurogroup - those member states that have adopted the euro as their currency - told reporters on Saturday (13 September) that such methods - increased spending, slashed interest rates and tax cuts - once tried by European countries in the 1970s only saddled economies with debt and otherwise had few positive effects. "Instead, inflation remained the priority concern, said the head of the European Central Bank, Jean-Claude Trichet, who also warned against workers demanding large pay increases to keep up with skyrocketing food and petrol prices.” 11 September TUC delegates vote to oppose European court rulings and Lisbon treaty Trade Union Congress delegates meeting in Brighton last week overwhelmingly backed a call for Europe-wide protests against European Court of Justice (ECJ) rulings that represent a fundamental attack on collective bargaining and the right to strike. The successful motion from the RMT union also pointed out that the Lisbon Treaty would exacerbate attacks on trade union rights by handing the misnamed EU court huge new powers in order to act like a supreme court. RMT general secretary Bob Crow told delegates that recent ECJ rulings in the Viking, Laval , Ruffert and Luxembourg cases sought to turn the clock back a hundred years by undermining trade union rights in various ways. “These ECJ rulings constitute a Taff Vale judgment for the 21st century. The supposed crime of the Associated Society of Railway Servants back in 1901 was to be “in restraint of trade” by calling strike action,” he said. TUC general secretary Brendan Barber could not muster enough opposition to the RMT motion but accused the union of “smuggling contraband” into a congress debate about trade union laws by introducing the Lisbon treaty. However, Bob Crow warned delegates that if the discredited treaty was imposed, despite the Irish rejection of the rehashed EU constitution, trade union rights would be under further attack in the name of the ‘free movement of goods, services and labour within the EU. Unison delegate Bob Oram also cited recent ECJ cases as one of the main reasons why Irish workers voted against the Lisbon Treaty in June. He said that the court ruled that strikes are justified "only where there is a serious threat to jobs and conditions of employment" and even this it is "subject to a criterion of "proportionality'." In other words, said Mr Oram, "employers' rights of establishment trumps the right to strike". In 2005 Congress delegates voted overwhelmingly to oppose the EU constitution and, last year, Congress demanded a referendum on the constitution’s discredited offspring the Lisbon Treaty. This year delegates reaffirmed their opposition to the EU’s anti-democratic constitutional project as a part of a wider campaign to fight anti-union laws. In the face of this unprecedented attack on the trade union movement, delegates agreed to support: · A demonstration and lobby of Parliament to annul ECJ rulings · call for a European-wide demonstration facilitate meetings of affiliates to promote the campaign http://www.unison.org.uk/news/news_view.asp?did=4808 4 September EU Central Bank maintains high interest rate policy The EU Central Bank, meeting on 4 September, decided to keep interest rates at their existing level. The ECB’s September Bulletin comments: annual inflation levels are likely to remain well above levels consistent with price stability for a protracted period of time .. in this environment it remains imperative to avoid broad-based second round effects in price and wage setting. In full accordance with its mandate the General Council emphasises that maintaining price stability in the medium term is its primary objective’ 29 July 2008 EU Commission launches ‘Renewed Social Agenda’ – minor concessions on works councils conceal new attack on NHS and determination to incorporate EU Court of Justice decisions on the transferability of work conditions An EU Commission press statement issued on 29 June sought to spin the Communication ‘Renewed Social Agenda’ (2 July) as a return to the agenda of Social Europe as set by Jacques Delors. The document itself (access here on Documents page) is firmly set in a neo-liberal mould of maximising labour’s ‘freedom of movement’ in order to meet the challenge of globalisation – and the consequent changes required in the interoperability of services. It incorporates the EU Court of Justice decision upholding the rights of patients in one country to receive payment from their own country for treatment in another and promises to introduce a Directive on this. Health unions have already warned that such rights would quickly undermine the financial integrity of the NHS. No less worrying the Communication acknowledges the recent EU Court of Justice decisions on ‘posted workers’ – decisions which ruled it illegal to use industrial action to uphold existing collective bargaining agreements. The Communication promises discussions with social partners and the production of interpretive guidelines on ‘respect for social rights against the background of increasing social mobility’. It proposes a Forum for employers, governments and unions to be held in autumn 2008. On Works Councils the Communication proposes a directive to ‘ensure effective social dialogue on restructuring operations’. 25 July New poll shows Irish are against a second referendum and would reject Lisbon by even bigger margin than before; A new poll by Irish company Red C, commissioned by Open Europe, has found that 71% of Irish voters are against a second referendum on the Lisbon Treaty, and that, of those who expressed an opinion, 62% would vote 'no'. That would mean the "no" lead would increase from 6 points in the recent referendum to a commanding 24 point lead in a second vote. The poll found that 17% of those who voted "yes" in the recent referendum would vote "no" in a second referendum, while only 6% of those who voted "no" would now vote "yes". Perhaps most significantly of all, those who did not vote last time would vote more than two-to-one against in a second referendum: 57% would vote "no" and 26% would vote "yes". 17 July Sarkozy orders Irish to vote again French President Nicolas Sarkozy has said Ireland must hold a second referendum on the Lisbon Treaty. "The Irish will have to vote again," he told MPs of his party at a meeting in his office. An official in Paris confirmed Mr Sarkozy made the comment during the private meeting. EUobserver reports "the phrase was repeated to journalists by several deputies leaving the meeting". Mr Sarkozy also threatened to "veto any enlargement until a new treaty had been pushed through". The French President's office declined to comment. Ireland's Europe Minister Dick Roche claimed on RTÉ this morning that: "The line from the Elysée couldn't be clearer. What President Sarkozy has said is that he is coming here to listen, he is not coming here with a pre-cooked formula." However Labour leader Eamon Gilmore said the comments meant Sarkozy had "seriously put his foot in it". Le Figaro also reports that "The French President will on Monday try to persuade the government in Dublin to organise a new vote." 17 July EU begins procedures against the UK for the existence of an ‘excessive government deficit’ The Council of the European Union has ordered the UK government to ‘put an end to its excessive deficit by 2010’, by making budget cuts of at least 0.5% of gross domestic product (GDP), or face legal action under Article 104(6) of the EC Treaty. A similar threat to Poland has been dropped after Warsaw reduced its deficit below 3% of GDP as demanded by the Treaty. http://www.regeringen.se/content/1/c6/10/84/53/0ba18888.pdf 17 June EU Court of Justice delivers new blow to workers rights On 17 June the EU Court of Justice delivered its fourth judgement in six months that critically undermines collective bargaining and workers rights. On this occasion it was a case taken against the government of Luxemburg for seeking to require all firms, including those registered elsewhere, to comply with its legal provisions for a minimum wage. The judgement says that enterprises that are sending personnel to work in Luxembourg are not obliged to respect Luxembourg laws. |
