Résolution sur le Travail décent du Parlement européen et réaction de l'Alliance pour le travail décent

Le Parlement Européen a adopté une résolution sur le travail décent. Je tacherais de faire sur ce blog dans les prochains jours une analyse plus détaillée. En attendant, vous pouvez lire la résolution ici et lire ci-dessous le communiqué de presse de l'Alliance pour le Travail Décent (Confédération Syndicale Internationale, Solidar, Global Progressive Forum, Social Alert).


Decent Work campaign calls for swift implementation of European
Parliament report.

Brussels, May 24 2007 (ITUC Online): The Decent Work, Decent Life
campaign* has welcomed a report adopted yesterday in the European
Parliament report on promoting decent work** for all and called for
swift action to ensure the European Commission implements its
recommendations.

"With the EU in the midst of negotiating a number of bilateral free
trade agreements, and the Doha round in trouble, it is more important
than ever that the report's recommendations, which put decent work at
the heart of trade and development policies of the EU, be implemented",
Guy Ryder, the General Secretary of the International Trade Union
Confederation said today.

"It is up to the European Union to take a lead in promoting decent work
in the world", said John Monks, General Secretary of the European Trade
Union Confederation (ETUC).

"The report provides a clear direction for how the EU's stated aim of
economic and social justice within and outside its borders can be
implemented. We have the policies, we have the support of the ILO, now
all we need is the political will. For the sake of millions of people
who desperately need decent work to lift themselves out of poverty, we
urge the Commission to urgently set about enacting these proposals,"
Conny Reuter, the Secretary General of Solidar commented.

The report calls for, amongst other things:

* The inclusion of the decent work agenda in the EU's multilateral
and bilateral negotiating mandates arising from the "Global Europe"
strategy;
* The strengthening of the role of the International Labour
Organisation in international governance through the establishment of a
trade and decent work committee at the WTO and support for the ILO's
Decent Work Country Programs;
* The inclusion of decent work in development strategies through
its inclusion in Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers and negotiations of
Economic Partnership Agreements;
* The penalisation of governments which do not fully implement the
ILO's core labour standards under the EU's Generalised System of
Preferences.

"The inclusion of decent work in the EU's development strategies is
paramount to maximizing the effectiveness of aid in poverty reduction.
However, for as long as the EU's policies on trade and development
continue to lack coherence, we will condemned to the one step forward,
two steps back approach. The latest incarnation of this is the
inclusion of the Singapore issues and the threat to public services
presented in the Commission's "Global Europe" strategy, also tackled at
this session of Parliament" argued Bart Verstraeten from Social Alert
International.

Harlem Desir, Socialist MEP and the Vice-President of the Global
Progressive Forum who acted as the shadow rapporteur welcomed the
report's adoption.

"Promoting decent work in all international institutions, including the
WTO corresponds not only to the values of the EU, it is also in our
interest to promote a regulated globalisation. Decent work should serve
as a framework for international trade and ensure that it doesn't
develop to the detriment of other international objectives such as
social protection and rights, " he concluded.

For comment and information contact:

Elizabeth Tapper. Solidar. Tel 02 500 1031. elizabeth@solidar.org
Mathieu Debroux. ITUC. Tel 0476 621 018. mathieu.debroux@ituc-csi.org

*The Decent Work campaign is led by the International Trade Union
Confederation, Solidar, the Global Progressive Forum, Social Alert
International and the European Trade Union Confederation.
**Decent Work is a key element in building fair, equitable and inclusive
societies based on the principles of access to employment, workers'
rights, equality between women and men, social protection and social
dialogue.