Workers' Group - Related News

On July 1st, Germany assumes the presidency of the EU Council, facing the worst health, social, and economic crisis the EU has seen in its existence. The EU and its member states, crippled by years of austerity and nationalism, stand ill-prepared to face it. Only firm commitment to solidarity and social and environmental sustainability, taking onboard the social partners, can prevent the worst parts of the crisis, and ensure a recovery towards a fairer, more sustainable Europe.

Clapping was good, but now we need a recovery plan that strengthens our public services and its workforce

Public sector workers are usually unsung and invisible heroes. When everything goes well, we generally take them and the work they do for granted despite its impact on almost every aspect of our lives. However, when things go wrong, we notice: they are often in the firing line for our complaints – many are even the victims of violence and harassment just for trying to do their jobs.

The world is experiencing its biggest crisis in peacetime in the last 90 years. To overcome the current crisis, and to be prepared for any other that might come, Europe must focus its effort to rebuild its social, political and economic structure on four criteria: Solidarity, sustainability, safeguarding employment and income and participation. The stronger, the more inclusive, the more social and the more sustainable the recovery measures are and the more they are tailored to the situation of the Member States and their populations, the more credible Europe will be and the more capable to rise to the unprecedented challenges we face in this crisis. Europe has now the possibility and the opportunity to build another world.

We are experiencing the biggest crisis in peacetime in the last 90 years; if the European Central Bank's estimates of the size of the 15% of GDP depression turn out to be correct, this is three times the magnitude of the last crisis in 2008. The European Union has never faced such an economic and social crisis of this scale. This crisis is of a different nature than previous ones, and it requires a different mix and timing of policy responses. That is why we believe that business as usual can no longer be a political option to address the effects of the crisis. Europe has the possibility and the opportunity to build another world.