Eurotrash - The latest from Brussels
WORKERS, NOV 2005 ISSUE
Collective bargaining 'illegal'
EU Commissioner Charlie McCreevy has declared that Swedish collective wage agreements breach EU laws on the freedom of movement. The commissioner will testify before the European Court of Justice in an upcoming case brought by a Latvian company, which was awarded a contract in Sweden but refused to abide by Sweden's collective agreement on wages and conditions for workers. The company tried to import Latvia's very poor wages and conditions into Sweden.In response, Swedish trade unions defended their members' wages and conditions by blockading the Latvian company, pushing it into bankruptcy. The Swedish TUC has hinted that it will withdraw support for Swedish EU membership altogether if the ECJ rules against collective bargaining.
Attacking Africa
The EU's Economic Partnership Agreements will plunge African countries further into poverty. Kenya's EPA agreement with the EU will open 90% of the country's market to European business, and will remove 82% of their customs income. Far from healing Africa's scars, EPAs would inflict gaping new wounds.
The wrong side of history?
Siim Kallas, the EU Commission's Vice-President, has attacked critics of the EU's economic policies, saying they do not "know what liberalism is". He said, "The forces of protectionists want to keep ... the 'Polish plumber' in Poland in order to safeguard social privileges at home." He added that opponents of the policies were "outdated forces in the old Europe ... on the side of economic conservatism, and therefore on the wrong side of history".
Loser praises Constitution
Electoral loser Gerhard Schroeder, the ousted German Chancellor, speaking at a Europa Forum meeting in Strasbourg, said that the European Constitution "is certainly not perfect, but it is a very good compromise which can and will move Europe forward decisively. This magnificent project - and I am not embarrassed to use this word - cannot be abandoned."