Brussels, 24/01/2014 (Agence Europe) - The Social Democrats at the European Parliament and the European trade unions have expressed reservation regarding the social dimension of the Commission's “industrial renaissance” initiative (see EUROPE 11002).
“It is a good initiative but it has two problems: it arrives late and it must be followed by strong actions so that it does not remain just beautiful words. A smart reindustrialisation of Europe must be a priority for the next Commission”, the president of the S&D Group in Parliament, Hannes Swoboda of Austria, states in a press release. “Europe's industry can only be competitive by maintaining a high level of education, research, environmental standards and by never lowering our standards. The virtual and speculative economy is at the heart of the crisis, and the solution will come from the real economy. The challenge is now to help Europe to maintain its global leadership as an industrial power without sacrificing our social model. This is why the role of the unions and the dialogue with workers is an important part of any future EU action”, Swoboda stresses. His Italian colleague, Patrizia Toia, who recommends the creation of a “control room” for the industry deeply rooted in the regions, said: “We don't want to compete by lowering salaries but on bringing knowledge and sustainable solutions”.
The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) criticises the fact that the social dimension is “barely touched upon” in the Commission's initiative. The social dimension should “underpin a productive industry and deliver education, training, social security and workers' participation”, the association underlines, also criticising the initiative's inadequacy on the themes of quality employment and youth employment. Among other things, the ETUC criticises the lack of a convincing plan for financing to support the industrial sectors with high added value. In its communication, it suggests further integration of the European internal market and urges European firms to internationalise. “Unfortunately, the Commission fails to put forward a proposal on how this potential for growth could be translated into job creation and states that it expects EU unemployment to remain at 11%, an all-time high, for at least two more years. …) The Commission blames low demand and low investment for the lingering crisis but neglects to point out the root of both: the EU's crisis management policy, with its failure to reregulate the banking system, where austerity is the overriding rule of the day and where increased competitiveness is seen in terms of cutting wages”, the ETUC concludes. (EH/transl.jl)