Massimiliano Santini’s recent article here finishes with “…the solution may be in elaborating and putting forward a new narrative. It’s the narrative, stupid!” Please, not a new narrative! That would be stupid! To cut it short: what Europe needs is credibility, not a new narrative. Europe has to deliver. The only really convincing narrative is: […]
More Democracy At Work? Do We Need That?
“What you are going to put on your political agenda is pretty much out of date,” was the comment of a trade unionist with 50 years’ experience of work in trade union policy, when I told him about the ‘Strategy for more Democracy at Work’. Well, he is right and wrong at the same time. […]
Time To Share The Benefits Of Germany’s Economic Prosperity
The German economy is flourishing, with growth expanding throughout 2017. Unemployment, at under 4 per cent, has never been lower since German reunification in 1990 and equals one of the lowest rates in the EU. Businesses are competing to recruit staff. The employment rate is second only to Sweden’s, and productivity, too, is above the […]
Company Transfer Rules Must End ‘Regime Shopping’
For decades, the European trade union movement has been urging EU authorities to put an end to ‘regime shopping’, which allows companies in Europe to move their headquarters to another Member State where they pay fewer taxes and lower wages, regardless of where their operations take place. Artificial commercial arrangements permitted within the single market […]
A Seat At The Table For The Social Partners
As the dust was settling on the regrettable British referendum presaging the UK’s departure from the EU, one bit of potentially good news received scant attention. For more than 30 years, the EU has been enabling employers’ and workers’ representatives to negotiate and reach agreements that improve working conditions and workers’ rights across Europe. During […]
Shaping The New World Of Work
It is called disruption. New digital technologies are having unforeseen impacts on industries and services in all directions. This fourth industrial revolution is testimony to the power of human ingenuity and innovation – and has the potential to bring major social benefits and challenges alike. The impact on labour markets and workers has so far […]
Open Letter: Finnish Election Results demand an Alternative Economic Policy and the Need for a stronger Social Europe
Dear President José Manuel Barroso, This weekend saw another European country vote in significant numbers for a populist, anti-European party. The Finnish election results, following the Dutch, Belgian and Hungarian national elections and French regional elections (as well as the rising tide of anti-EU feeling in accession countries), indicate a very worrying political trend in […]
For a Real European Industrial Policy
The term ‘Industrial Policy’ refers to various concepts ranging from providing an environment conducive for private business to targeted state intervention on industrial sectors, with numerous dimensions. This article focuses on what the European Metalworkers’ Federation (EMF) is demanding with regard to the issue of development skills, training and qualification. The European metalworking industries and […]
