Brussels, 20/09/2010 (Agence Europe) - In Brussels on Wednesday 29 September, the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) is holding a day of European action to protest at the austerity measures recently taken by many European governments. As part of this day of action, a Euro-demonstration will take place in Brussels, to be attended by many national union delegations. Among the leaders will be John Monks, Secretary General of ETUC, and representatives of the Belgian trade unions FGTB -ABVV (socialist) Rudy De Leeuw and Anne Demelenne, CSC-ACV (Christian) Luc Cortebeek and Claude Rolin, and CGSLB-ACLVB (Liberal) Jan Vercamst.
Addressing 15,000 Spanish union members in Madrid on 9 September, John Monks called on the workers to mobilise against austerity, stating: “This is the worst economic crisis in the post-war history of Western Europe. Our campaign is against austerity and, instead, for jobs and growth: we say cutting in a recession, cutting when unemployment is already high, cutting when economic growth is low - this is wrong. We say cutting labour rights and pensions is wrong too. So we call for a rethink and a change - in Spain and in Europe (…). If you and we do your job in mobilising, they will have to listen to the people”, John Monks concluded. (G.B./trans.fl)