Brussels, 03/09/2013 (Agence Europe) - The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) did not really appreciate the remarks on Spain made by Commissioner Olli Rehn, which were published early August on his official blog. A mistaken economic analysis coupled with a “playful” style make ETUC fear the worse. In an open letter sent on Friday 30 August, ETUC states: “What this means is that you and the Commission are promoting a downward spiral of wage erosion, cutting ordinary people's standard of living in the interests of blind ideology”. ETUC particularly focused on the title of Rehn's article: “Can Spain achieve what Ireland and Latvia did?”. The trade unions ask, however, whether it is desirable for Spain to take up the same road as that previously taken by the archetypes of budgetary recovery. Twenty percent fewer jobs for one, 15% for the other - the answer does not take long to find. ETUC believes “the real lesson from Latvia is that action to restore growth must come first, before measures to consolidate public finances can be successful”. Rehn would like to soon see reform of the Spanish labour market, in order to carry out “internal devaluation” - a little like what the IMF is proposing, i.e. a 10% fall in salaries over two years. Yesterday, Germany; today Spain perhaps; and, why not, France, Belgium and the Netherlands tomorrow, in order to have “ruthless competition replacing solidarity as an EU principle”, predicts ETUC. As an alternative, it suggests two avenues: time is needed, found by putting off the 3% of GDP deficit limit, and another approach is also needed, rather than an all-out attack on workers' income. (JK/transl.jl)