Brussels, 07/03/2011 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 7 March, the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) announced that it will be organising a big European demonstration in Budapest on Saturday 9 April 2011, along with six Hungarian trade unions (LIGA, ASZSZ, SZEF, ESZT, MszOSz and MOSz) at the same time as the meeting of EU econnoimc and finance ministers in the city. The European trade unions will march against austerity and for a social Europe with fair pay and high-quality jobs, explains an ETUC press release.
The policies that the EU institutions and national governments are trying to impose after the collapse of the financial system, as the crisis is devastating the real economy and the lives of millions of workers in Europe, is based on austerity and budget consolidation with the sole of aim of cutting public spending, lashing public services and pay and seriously damaging collective bargaining and social dialogue at national level, explains the ETUC in a press release. At the same time, however, bankers and leaders are still paying themselves scandalously high salaries and bonuses but have done precious little to remove the underlying causes of the crisis.
The European trade union movement is protesting against these policies that they say are not only unfair, but damage those who are in no way responsible for the crisis. In addition , the policies are economically and strategically damaging. (L.C. trans fl)