Brussels, 22/12/2015 (Agence Europe) - A European statute for workers, a new directive on paternity pay and compulsory social indicators were among some of the proposals formulated by the Socialists and Democrats (S&D) group at the European Parliament, as part of their manifesto for a more social Europe, adopted during the Strasbourg plenary session on Wednesday 16 December.
The United Kingdom is currently involved in renegotiating the terms of its membership of the European Union and in this context the S&D group has asserted that any attempt to reduce Europe to a simply economic and monetary dimension would result in the rise of populism and euro scepticism. S&D MEPs emphasised that “social divergences between and within countries erode the legitimacy of European integration and destroy the confidence necessary for obtaining better results in the future. That said, it is not acceptable that the European Commission is failing to take decisive action to improve the situation and substantially strengthen the EU's social dimension”.
The manifesto includes proposals for strengthening the social dimension of Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), measures for tackling long-term and youth unemployment, as well as action for strengthening workers' rights.
With regard to the EMU, the group calls for the setting up of a “Social Euro-Group” and the adoption of a legislative act on “equal pay for equal work” whatever kind of contract there is and a workers' statute. It also calls for the joint report on employment to play a more important role in the European Semester and to operate as an early warning system to flag up excessive social imbalances and that this is extended to other social indicators (particularly on decent work, child poverty, homelessness, access to health care and education). It adds that social and economic indicators should be on a level playing field in the macro-economic imbalances procedure.
In the context of unemployment, the group is calling for a substantial increase in funding for the European Youth Guarantee, as well as a directive against discrimination in the recruitment process based on previous or present periods of unemployment, irrespective of the length of time an individual has been unemployed. On the question of education and poverty, the group is calling for a directive to set out quality criteria and minimum working conditions for work placements and apprenticeships, including minimum wages, in addition to a framework directive on social services of general interest (SSGI).
On the question of workers' rights, the S & D group calls for a directive on untypical employment, as well as the creation of a European workers' statute in view of “protecting all workers in Europe, as well as their dignity and preserving European unity”. It is also requesting the legislative initiative to revise the directive on maternity pay, with particular attention on pregnant women who work, as well as a directive on paternity pay, revision of the directive on parental leave and a legislative initiative on sabbaticals. The “Progressive European social policy - Returning the focus to the people” policy paper is accessible at the following address: http://www.socialistsanddemocrats.eu/sites/default/files/progressive_european_social_policy_en_151217_1.pdf (Original version in French by Sophie Petitjean)