Declaration of Workers' Group President Oliver Röpke about the COVID-19 crisis

In view of the current developments surrounding the COVID-19 spread in Europe and the world, the Workers' Group:

  1. Acknowledges the efforts at EU and national level to control the spreading of the virus. The evident cross-border dimension of the virus prevents any unilateral, national action from being truly effective. Coordination is therefore fundamental to deploy effective measures, and in this regard, the European Union must lead the way both with clear guidelines and with transparent information.
  2. Expresses its solidarity with the people infected, and the need to protect particularly the lives of risk groups such as the elderly, people with immune system deficiencies, and others. Establishing effective containment measures is fundamental for their protection.
  3. Recognises the grave danger of fake news in crisis such as this one, and calls for citizens' responsibility in sharing only trustworthy information in order to combat the spreading of fear.
  4. Stresses the main priorities of safety and public health. Responses to the crisis must have protection of public health, and safety of workers involved, as guiding principles in any coordinated action.
  5. Declares the need for special support to EU workers, and, in particular, the conditions and protection of healthcare workers. EU's healthcare systems and their workers are in the frontline and they shall have all the necessary funding to ensure that this crisis is tackled with equality, efficiency and justice.
  6. Calls for clear action regarding the situation of workers who might be quarantined, including telework when possible, paid leaves when not, and special attention to the ones having people depending on them. This is particularly urgent in precarious and low-paid jobs, and in sectors of the 'new forms of work' such as the platform economy, where bogus self-employment often leads to non-existing protection measures.
  7. Remarks the need not only for fiscal flexibility dealing with the COVID-19 crisis, but a revision of the Stability and Growth pact, particularly in light of the economic consequences of the outbreak. The current developments might bring an economic crisis similar or worse than the one of 2008, and the response cannot be again austerity.
  8. Calls therefore for decisive counter-cyclical policies at EU and national level, to counteract the current economic developments and prevent further deterioration of citizens' living conditions. Even before the outbreak of COVID-19, the EU was experiencing a slowdown in economic growth. Now more than ever it is necessary to promote public investment, even if in deficit, which shall be financed by Eurobonds. This is the right moment to show the real European solidarity among the EU Member States.
  9. Considers a coordinated EU response the only possible solution to the current crisis, offering transparent and reliable information to the citizens, ensuring workers' protection, and reinforcing our social security and healthcare systems with resources and personnel.  

The COVID-19 outbreak is having a major economic, social and humane impact in Europe. The situation is deteriorating on a daily basis, but the EU and the Member States must remain united, give a common and effective response to combat the spreading of the virus and protect citizens and workers.

"This outbreak is a test of solidarity -- political, financial and scientific. We need to come together to fight a common enemy that does not respect borders, ensure that we have the resources necessary to bring this outbreak to an end and to find shared answers to shared problems", said Oliver Ropke, President of the EESC Workers' group.

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Workers' Group Declaration COVID19