emcef.org - 8th General Assembly

8^th General Assembly - Paris 2010
Friday, July 02, 2010, 12:36 Hrs

On 30 June and 1 July, some 130 participants from across Europe gathered in Paris for EMCEF's 8^th General Assembly. All participants appreciated the warm welcome offered to them by the French affiliates.

The main topics of discussion during this general assembly were on the creation of a new European Industrial Trade Union Federation and on the motions submitted by the EMCEF statutory committees.

On the issue of the creation of a new European Industrial Trade Union Federation, participants voiced the need to group and focus the efforts of the EMCEF, EMF and ETUF:TCL on European level, in order to enforce a common position on five elements in particular: globalisation, financial internationalization, deindustrialization, the crisis, and the merger of national federations. Peter Scherrer, Secretary General of the EMF, attended the General Assembly and took the floor. The following debate focussed on the future trade union strategy and political goals, as well as, on essential organisational and structural issues [DE], [EN], [FR].

A second area of discussions centered around the EMCEF statutory committees: Coordination of Collective Bargaining (CB), European Works Council (EWC), Industrial Policy and Health & Safety and Environment (IP), Social Dialogue (SD).

On CB a motion was adopted on "Pensions, retirement and lifelong work – an EMCEF policy on demography", at a time that pension schemes are being challenged in many countries [DE], [EN], [FR].

On EWC a motion was adopted on "Multinational Company Policy". This multinational company policy paper considers matters relating to improving the effectiveness of international information and consultation rights for workers inside EWCs, to improving the functioning of these EWCs, to creating new committees, to workers participation in SEs and questions of trade union coordination in cases of transnational restructuring in particular [DE], [EN], [FR].

On IP a need for a trade union perspective on the climate change issues was discussed and a "Climate Change Policy" paper adopted. Industry is essential for progress and development; it contributes to economic and social progress in Europe and it provides innovation and technological progress as well as decent standards of living and social standards [DE], [EN], [FR].

For EMCEF, the inclusion of regional and sector aspects in climate change policies is crucial. Any climate change legislation must include strong competitiveness provisions that do not disadvantage sector and regional development.

Poland is an emblematic example; its electricity production is based for 95% on coal, by contrast to some other European nations. With the implementation of the current EU climate package, the impact on employment in the mining regions and on their economy in general, will be devastating. In order to have a just transition, new job opportunities should be created first and financing for the transition should be guaranteed.
The use of wood as a renewable energy resource, which also is a raw material for the pulp and paper industry, may cause an enormous increase in wood prices, thereby seriously threatening the competitiveness of the sector in Europe, with massive job losses and import dependency as a result.
The development of advanced processes or new technologies for energy saving and energy efficiency, calls for new and high qualifications and skills of the workforce. Climate change policies should therefore offer alternatives to the industrial workers whereby a focus on training is absolutely necessary.

On SD a motion was adopted on the "Instrumentalisation of Social Dialogue on European and national level". European Social Dialogue is the only means at European level that provides a forum for European trade union federations and European employer associations to discuss and address European social legislation developments, legislation developments with social impacts as well as social developments in Europe. EMCEF will pursue its efforts to improve participation in its statutory Social Dialogue Committee as well as in European sector Social Dialogue committees, to increase the activities and outputs and to assess and follow up the impact on national level [DE], [EN], [FR].

The internal mandate procedures on nominations in sector social dialogues, company agreements, and actual European collective negotiations (sector level), were unanimously ratified [DE], [EN], [FR].

The final versions of all motions and resolutions will be made available on-line in DE, EN, FR. (updated 7/7)

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