Brussels, 18/02/2005 (Agence Europe) - Shortly before President Bush's visit to Brussels, John Monks, General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) declared: “I have been intrigued at the interest shown by the US Administration in the EU's Lisbon Agenda. But I would warn the Commission not to place this on the bargaining table in an attempt to trade off further liberalisation in Europe against action by the United States to reduce their massive deficits and to stabilise their exchange rate, however desirable such American action would be”.
In a press release, ETUC recalls that the values of the EU are founded on the Charter of Fundamental Rights included in the European Constitution (social market economy, social dialogue, decent public services, workers' rights) and warns that these rights are not negotiable. Another matter of concern for the trade unionists is the apparent indifference of the European and American authorities for the target that they set themselves to foster “people-to-people dialogue across all stakeholders”. The exclusive emphasis given to business links will not bring the people of Europe and of the United States closer together, but rather alienate them, ETUC states. The US's continuing refusal to ratify and implement international core labour standards such as those on freedom of association and rights to bargain collectively, is another issue of concern to the trade union movement in Europe.
ETUC recalls that it has close contacts with American trade unions (AFL-CIOP) in the United States and that it will continue to work with them in the interest of hard-working families on both sides of the Atlantic.