Brussels, 14/01/2014 (Agence Europe) - Faced with the risk of seeing the European social model jeopardised, the European Parliament passed a resolution on Tuesday 14 December, which calls for all European workers, including those who are freelance, to have access to social protection that is “sound, sustainable and adequate” for all.
The resolution was written by Vilija Blinkeviciute (S&D, Lithuania) and was adopted in plenary session in Strasbourg by 587 votes to 65, with 39 abstentions. The text identifies all the most often made criticisms of the current social protection systems - including gender inequality, and inequality of treatment between employees, freelancers and vulnerable groups (the disabled, single parent families, the unemployed, young people and pensioners). The Parliament wants the member states to focus on many of these issues, bringing social protection systems into line with demographic developments. The European Commission should look at the reforms introduced in many member states in order to see whether the “flexibilisation” of labour markets has resulted in reduced social protection for workers. (JK/transl.fl)