EFFAT

Call for tenders for the project entitled : Healthy workplaces - a win for everybody in agriculture through risk assessment
This call for tenders is only available in French. Deadline for sending answers : 30 June 2009
16/06/2009

Tourism Industry: Employment and Labour Market Challenges
On 10 and 11 June 2009, more than 100 representatives of the European tourism sector met in Prague at the Conference of the Czech EU Presidency "Tourism Industry: Employment and Labour Market Challenges". Topics of the conference were the challenges and problems associated with the current situation in the tourism industry at European level. In her speech (see attached), Kerstin Howald called upon employers' associations and enterprises in the tourism sector to not exploit the current economic situation for restructuring and reduction of workforce, but to seek solutions together with all stakeholders to safeguard as many jobs as possible and to prepare the sector for the economic recovery. On the website you can find more information about the conference, such as programme, participants, presentations, etc.
16/06/2009

Agricultural trade unions in the new Member States are demanding a political change of course
Declaration adopted at Brno (Czech Republic) on 1st June 2009 by the Chairmen of the agricultural trade unions in the new Member States: "Agricultural employment in the new Member States is declining. The Chairmen of the agriculture unions in those States are therefore demanding a sustainable new Common Agricultural Policy. They are calling for a flexible quantity regulation instrument for milk production and are opposing the ending of milk quotas without replacement at the end of 2015."
01/06/2009

Unhappy Coke Workers Fight ‘Cold Redundancies’ in Germany
On 9 May 1000 demonstrators marched on the headquarters of CCEAG, Germany’s Coca-Cola Bottler, to protest that the decision to close production sites in Kaiserslautern and Münster is both two-faced and unacceptable. Protesters carried slogans such as “we`re fed up, we`ve had enough of this”. Similar feelings from Coke workers in other European countries may mean this will not be such a happy summer for Coke if it does not start to take its social responsibilities in Europe more seriously.
20/05/2009

EFFAT for a New Social Deal:Fight the crisis-put people first
EFFAT has no understanding that the employers in many countries try to abuse the current economic situation to undermine the achievements of the European social model and to enforce a deterioration of conditions for the employees in collective bargaining.
15/05/2009

Lager Loot: Belgian unions condemn bonuses
Belgian unions ACV-CSC and ABVV-FGTB protested against excessive bonuses for brewery bosses on April 28. The action took place in Louvain at the Belgian HQ of Big Beer giant AB InBev, which makes many of the world’s best selling beers, including Stella Artois, Budweiser, Becks and Leffe. A large crowd of Belgian union activists expressed their outrage that a handful of greedy big bosses at AB InBev have lined up obscenely large bonuses for themselves...
06/05/2009

Food & drink companies should not use the current crisis to water down their social and environmental responsibilities
Action to address climate change is high on the agenda of the European trade union movement. EFFAT’s priorities include maintaining the highest possible environmental standards for working people and their families. Trade unions have a duty to play an active role in tackling the problems caused by climate change...
29/04/2009

Roadmapping actions for the High-Level Group on Agro-food industry competitiveness
On the 23rd April, the Sherpas (in charge with the preparatory work) met and discussed a roadmap for the concrete steps to be taken in order to fulfil the tasks of the Agro-food High-Level Group Report’s recommendations. On the 17th March, the High-Level Group met and adopted the Report which willl help pave the way to boosting the performance of this important sector in Europe.
24/04/2009

European Tourism Trade Unions: Do not abuse, but bridge the crisis!
EFFAT urges national governments integrate tourism in rescue packages, and to ensure that the European tourism can still be competitive when the economic crisis is over, e.g. by supporting investments in infrastructure and renovation. A number of business leaders exploit the situation and cut back on employment, without involving the employees and their organisations in a dialogue about the situation. Some even breach agreements on pay and working conditions and violate laws in their efforts to earn money. As one participant put it: Most of the companies do not make losses, but only see a drop in their profits.
03/04/2009

Use the crisis as an opportunity: what are the chances of the industries’ workers?
31st March afternoon European leaders and trade unions met for a high-level panel discussion on economic crisis at the Friederich-Ebert-Stiftung office in Brussels. Commission Vice-President Gunter Verheugen and European Socialist leader Poul Nyrup Rasmussen were participating in the debate. EFFAT Secretary-General, Harald Wiedenhofer and Peter Scherer, the EMF General-Secretary, were there to give the message of the unions to the European leaders.
01/04/2009