Brussels, 29/04/2004 (Agence Europe) - On the occasion of the arrival, on 1 May, of the ten new EU Member States, that it warmly welcomes, the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) calls for energetic political action to improve social and employment standards in these new Member States, so that the 455 million citizens of the enlarged EU may fully benefit from enlargement. ETUC also states in a press release that, if one truly wants integration to become a reality, there must be extra effort made to set a social Europe in place with good quality services, equal opportunities, justice and social protection. The Confederation also states that it will endeavour to involve the trade unions of the new member countries more actively in European social dialogue.
ETUC General Secretary John Monks recalls on this occasion that ETUC supports the free movement of workers and, where it is considered necessary to fix transition periods, considers that these periods must be reduced to a minimum. He said they rejected all nationalist paranoia about the freedom of movement. On the contrary, he continued, they welcome nationals of the new Member States and will work together with them to increase economic and social development in their respective countries as well as in the EU in general. He went on to specify that ETUC is also firmly opposed to selective introduction of freedom of movement for highly qualified workers, as this would undermine the economic potential of acceding countries.
We recall that the ETUC already includes member organisations in all the new Member States, as well as in other countries of Central and Eastern Europe. In total, ETUC affiliates are to be found in 77 organisations in 35 countries. We would also point out that, in order to celebrate EU enlargement on 1 May, the Confederation leaders will be going to the different countries. Thus, John Monks will join the Italian trade unionists for 1 May, Labour Day, at the old EU frontier and at the new frontier between Gorizia (Italy) and Nova Gorica (Slovenia); Maria Helena André (Deputy General Secretary) will take part in demonstrations of the Irish EU Presidency in Dublin with the Irish Congress of Trade Unions; and her counterpart Rainer Hoffmann will take part in the DGB Parade for Employment in Schwerin (Germany).