Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2001-09-03-Speech-1-105"

Predicate	Value (sorted: default)
rdf:type	lpv_eu:Speech2
dcterms:Date	"2001-09-03"^^xsd:date2
dcterms:Is Part Of	lp_eu:European works council2
dcterms:Language	"da"^^xsd:language2
lpv:document identification number	"en.20010903.7.1-105"2
lpv:hasSubsequent	lp_eu:2001-09-03-Speech-1-1062
lpv:speaker	lp:Helle Thorning-schmidt2
lpv:spokenAs	substitute; Committee on Industry, External Trade, Research and Energy (1999-07-22--2002-01-14)3,3 vice-chair; Delegation to the EU-Latvia Joint Parliamentary Committee (1999-07-22--2002-01-14)3,3 member; PES (1999-07-20--2004-07-19)3,3 unknown; Socialdemokratiet (1999-07-20--2004-07-19)3,3 member; EMPL (1999-07-21--2002-01-14)3,3
lpv:translated text	"Mr President, many people are very concerned about globalisation. They join forces in organisations, and the most extreme also throw stones. In the meantime, the EU is blamed for making the negative aspects of globalisation worse. I believe that the discussion we are having today and the discussion we had concerning the Menrad report in our committee demonstrate the very opposite. They show that the EU can, in a very practical way, contribute to mitigating the negative aspects of the free market, in this case restructurings. The EU cannot abolish these, and nor should it, for they are a part of a modern market economy and they can have positive effects. However, we can try to mitigate the negative effects by properly involving employees in the process. What we are doing today and what we shall hopefully do in the future by means of a new directive is, in a very practical way, to make the market a little more democratic. The directive has already had an effect. The Commission’s report shows this. Works councils have been set up as a result of the directive. As other speakers too have said, there are, however, many things which can be improved, and I hope that the Commission will allow itself to be inspired by Parliament’s report today. Some of the improvements must take the form of cultural changes within companies. Undertakings must realise that consultation and the provision of information are not a laborious and onerous duty but a constructive part of modern management and that creating partnerships also creates responsible employees. At the same time, I hope that the Commission will lose no time at all in proceeding further with its deliberations concerning a new directive, and I should like to see an expansion of the topics on which employees are consulted. I think that, in general, we must look at the position of our fellow workers. We must understand that they are ordinary people from ordinary backgrounds who come together in the works councils. They must be given time off work, and there is a need for premises, training and translation facilities so that they can carry out their tasks as employee representatives. I also believe that employees must be able more readily to involve trade union experts. We must appreciate that there is a need to improve their conditions. A future directive might properly implement the constructive changes proposed by Parliament. These are not fanatical and far-reaching changes, but very constructive ones, and I hope that the Commission will take them on board when it proposes a new directive. Properly designed, the latter can be a further step in the direction of a European social model."@en1

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