On Thursday 22 October, MEPs adopted (466 votes in favour, 189 against and 32 abstentions) a report by Klára Dobrev (S&D, Hungary) calling for a reform of the ‘European Semester’ to refocus it on social convergence and thus put an end to “unhealthy” labour cost competition.
For parliamentarians, it is therefore “essential” to coordinate socio-economic and health policies in connection with the ‘European Semester’ and the European pillar of social rights “as a keystone” to mitigate the consequences of the health crisis, to establish an economy of wellbeing and sustainability over the long term.
MEPs also insist on the conditionality of European financial aid, in particular to avoid financing companies from tax havens. They also demand that the aid provided should be conditional on respect for fundamental European values and, finally, that companies receiving public aid should always ensure that workers are protected, guarantee decent working conditions and respect social dialogue and the trade unions and, above all, pay their proper share of taxes.
MEPs are in general calling for better enforcement of the rules throughout the subcontracting chain and social protection for front-line workers.
A far-right alternative resolution. The extreme right-wing ID group submitted an alternative own-initiative report, somewhat tinged with neo-liberalism, which found no support, encouraging the Member States, in its point 14, to ensure that their tax and social security systems do not constitute an obstacle to job creation.
To consult the own-initiative report: https://bit.ly/31AAIiO ( Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)