With the new Lisbon strategy, Member States are invited to introduce national reform plans by 15 October and involve social partners in the development of these plans. In order to strengthen the trade union case of creating more as well as better jobs, the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) has called on its national affiliates to introduce and defend common positions and proposals when discussing their national reform plans, ETUC states in a press release.

It thus calls on its affiliates in particular to:

  1. introduce a plan for economic recovery to finally end and overcome the long European downturn. According to the ETUC, an additional 1% of GDP should be invested in the Lisbon priority areas;
  2. establish that every worker concerned by restructuring has a right to re-insertion in the labour market on the basis of a quality job paying a fair and decent wage;
  3. identify and correct situations of excessive flexibility on the labour market, leading to workers getting trapped in bad jobs, and
  4. define objectives in order to reduce the number of working poor.

ETUC stresses that it will closely follow up national reform plans to see whether the new Lisbon strategy is delivering economic as well as social results.

Press release details

Press release type