01/10/2021 (Agence Europe) – Representatives of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) and several other major trade union organisations (EPSU, EFFAT, IndustriAll Europe and UNI Europa) have expressed their concern about the delay in European action on Sustainable Corporate Governance (see EUROPE 12736/21), in a joint press release issued on Friday 1 October. They are particularly concerned about the postponement of the legislative proposal that was supposed to be presented last June and consider that any further postponement would be “unacceptable” at a time when scandals are regularly breaking out about violations of workers’ rights by large multinationals (they cite McDonald’s in particular as an example). For them, it is imperative to introduce binding due diligence mechanisms, accompanied by dissuasive sanctions (such as exclusion from public procurement). (PH)