Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-10-25-Speech-2-026"
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"en.20051025.3.2-026"2
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"Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, previous speakers have focused mainly on the political aspects of this whole issue. If I may, I should therefore like to make a few comments from the point of view of a trade union member from a new Member State. I should like to start by using a phrase coined by Mr Chirac, the French President; Commissioner McCreevy missed a good opportunity to keep quiet, and is therefore merely reaping what he sowed.
Do trade unions have a right to take action if they believe the interests of their members to be at risk? They most certainly do. Much uncertainty surrounds the case as a whole. While on the one hand there has been talk of starvation wages of SEK 35-45 per hour, on the other hand it has been reported that the Swedish minimum wage of SEK 109 per hour was paid. There have been claims that certain articles of the Treaty establishing the European Community have been violated, and criticism has also been levelled at the Swedish labour model. Questions also need to be asked with regard to whether the Swedish labour inspectorate took any action.
All EU Member States are members of the International Labour Organisation, and have ratified treaties that grant far-reaching powers to trade unions. Workers not only have the right to form trade unions and to negotiate collectively, but also to defend themselves if their jobs are at risk. Sweden is one of only three countries to have allowed citizens of the new Member States to work within its territory almost immediately after the latter joined the European Union, without imposing any transitional measures. The only demand the country makes is that its rules and customs be observed. It is quite absurd to accuse Sweden of attempting to seal off its labour market, and it would be regrettable if the whole incident were interpreted as a Swedish attack on workers from the new Member States. Czech trade union members have also always taken the view that foreigners working in the Czech Republic must receive the same wages and have the same status as Czech citizens, as well as being subject to the attendant obligations. Unfortunately, we have not always managed to stand up in the face of blatant violations of Czech rules.
Whenever the Commission talks of the need to adopt a directive on services, it assures us that the Posting of Workers Directive, the provisions of which are intended to prevent social dumping, will continue to apply. We should therefore ensure that the Posting of Workers Directive becomes more than just a piece of paper in our Member States. In conclusion, I would note that sit-ins are one of the most effective weapons in the trade unions’ arsenal. I am quite sure that our Swedish counterparts only resorted to this weapon after much thought."@en1
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