The response of the European Union, however, is austerity, increasing insecurity of employment, uberisation, sanctions and repression.

Sixty years after the founding of what would become the European Union and twenty years after the introduction of the euro, the EU institutions have pursued neo-liberal policies in all member countries, leading to the present situation of cuts in real wages, precariousness, austerity measures for the vast majority of the population, with benefit cuts and sanctions against the unemployed.

We nevertheless believe that, faced with the effects of globalisation benefitting only the very richest, we can still reverse the course of events, put an end to neoliberal exploitation and stop everything that leads to the ruin of the exploited and of the planet itself.

The recent mass movements in Europe, as in France at the present time, show that, despite mounting repression, the growth of resignation and the rise of authoritarian or fascist-leaning governments is not inevitable.

For a fundamental transformation of European institutions.

Without a fundamental questioning of the institutions governing us – national and European – such a reversal is impossible. This does not depend just on the unemployed and workers in precarious jobs. But they must be present wherever their present and future situation is decided.

We want a social Europe based on the fundamental respect of social rights.

These are:

– the right to work, the rights of those in employment, the right to a European minimum wage and to decent working conditions
– no to precarious employment or forced part-time work
– the right to an income making it possible to live decently, not just to survive. Everyone should be entitled to a minimum income defined at the level of Europe and related to the costs of living of the country in which s/he lives
– the right to housing and a reasonable living environment. Basic facilities such as water and electricity must be recognized as goods and services held in common and not left to market forces.
– the right to access public services such as health care, education, professional training and culture
– the rights of families, children, the disabled and the elderly
– the right to healthy food and environment.

These rights must be provided to everyone, regardless of sex, colour or origin, accompanied by complete freedom of movement and residence.

How?

There will be no sustainable solutions for these crises without satisfying these demands, which we have been raising for many years. There can be no social justice without fiscal justice, redistribution of wealth and cancellation of all illegitimate debt.

At the same time, no solution will come without a true ecological revolution to deal with climate change. A revolution which, in addition, would create millions of jobs.

Coordination of the European Marches 27-01-2019
(contact@euromarches.org)

L’article For the attention of the candidates for the European elections 2019 est apparu en premier sur Euromarches.

Poverty and gender inequality are two forms of social injustice, which undermine human rights, the wellbeing of individuals, as well as their capacity to develop their full potential in life.
The briefing was publicized today at a media conference during an EAPN meeting taking place in Belgrade (Serbia), co-organised by EAPN Serbia, SeConS & UN Women. “Poverty means many things. Women have to deal with things on their own, especially if they are Roma like me. To people experiencing poverty and discrimination: follow yourself; make your own path. Education is the most important thing, even if poverty sometimes prevents children and girls from having a good quality education.” said Milica Petrovic, a woman with direct experience of poverty from Serbia.

Both poverty and gender inequality are two forms of social injustice. They undermine human rights; the wellbeing of individuals, and their capacity to develop their full potential in life (as emphasized in the human development approach). Despite efforts made to make progress in gender equality, women are still in an underprivileged position in our societies, and therefore at higher risk of poverty. Women experiencing poverty are exposed to twofold risk and injustice – based on gender and based on their poverty status. Monitoring gendered aspects of poverty is necessary to understand the gender-specific forms and causes of poverty and – in accordance with this – to advocate for appropriate policies and measures that can eliminate or prevent them.

The context, causes, EU actions and testimonies are provided in the briefing.
Read the Briefing

L’article Gender and Poverty in Europe est apparu en premier sur Euromarches.

Blockupy, Attac Belgique, CIG, ELA, Gresea, EuroMarche-Bijstandsbond, attac DE, aktion ./. arbeitsunrecht, USO, Anders Europa, CGT, FSLS Voica, SNES-FSU, FSU, UGT, CC.OO, NEI til EU, CG FGTB, IRW FGTB, Solidaires, EL, Transform, CGT études, EPSU, FSIE, FSLI, CNE, RLS, Rete Salute Lombardia, Intersindical Valenciana, United, International Assembly of People’s Movements and Organizations.

Finances

The secretariat will send an overview of the contributions these three last years as well as information about the contributors.

The secretariat is now hosted by Gresea asbl. It will represent for Alter Summit a cost of 15.000€/year to cover the wage expenses of Sebastian.

Newsletter

Based on the discussions, Sebastian will modify the project and send it to Romain (CGT Etudes), Katerina (Transform), Céline (FGTB), Mikel (ELA), Thomas (Blockupy), Peter (FSIE), Marie-Laurence (USO), Xosé (CIG), Marie-Dominique (ATTAC DE), Marthe (CGT) for feedbacks.
Romain (CGT Etudes) will see with its organization for a nice lay-out.

Deadline for the texts: January 31. In order to send the first newsletter during the first semester (trimestral newsletter)

Translations: Isabel (UGT) can help with Spanish translations

National diffusion: how organizations can help in sharing the Newsletter in their own networks?

Labour laws in Europe

Based on the fruitful discussions, Sebastian will elaborate a synthetic text (from about one/two pages). Deadline end January.

Facilitate and support national conferences on Labour Laws and precarity (Germany, Spain, France?) with European speakers.

Making conference contributions available on the website.

Proposal of “black book”: testimonies and experiences of labour laws consequences and resistances.

Working groups

Sebastian will send the names of the people that are in the different working groups.

Unity: Production of the summer issue of the Alter Summit Newsletter. The issue should: 5-6 examples of “efficient practices” examples of unions, syndicates and organizations around Europe (see report annexed).

Digitalisation: 1) enrich the existing text (annexed) and 2) elaborate, for the next General Assembly, a project of meeting between platform workers from different countries (deliverers – analysis, demands, alternatives, struggle forms) – Already think how to finance such a meeting (Gresea could help): crowdfunding?, Transform?).

Transition: spread a synthetic text (annexed) to sensibilize Alter Summit organisations to this issue.

Other actions

Organize International Solidarity meetings with social organisations from UK, Portugal, Greece (others?). Inviting also political representatives to have their point of view and how we can help.

Working group: Felipe (CNE, will make a proposition of content), Marthe (CGT), Xosé (CIG), Miguel-Angel (Intersindical Valenciana), Pablo (EPSU), Roger (SNES-FSU), Katerina (Transform), Judith (RLS)

Develop solidarity actions (as Belgian TU going to Paris in support of the struggle against Loi Travail XXL). Some money is needed…

Calendar

End January

• Newsletter deadline for the texts
• Synthetic analysis/position on Labour Laws
• Coordination meeting january/february -> doodle

March- June

• One, two, three labour laws meetings
• 8 mars: Day of Women struggles
• 4-7 April: Tax Justice Day and Health World Day against Health commercialisation
• June: General Assembly
• September: 15th: 10 years of the crisis (actions)

Date to be defined

• Meeting « deliverers »
• Solidarity international meetings

L’article DECISIONAL REPORT – ALTER SUMMIT GENERAL ASSEMBLY – DECEMBER 8&9 2017 est apparu en premier sur Euromarches.

The main goal of these marches is the struggle against austerity which is implemented with extreme violence as we shall see in Greece. In the first place this policy is aimed at the unemployed, the people living in precarity, the poor, the homeless persons, the people without papers. More than 100 million people in the European Union live beneath the poverty level. This must stop. Oxi! Basta! Enough!

At the same time we oppose the people who want to mobilize the unemployed against the fugetives who flee for war and misery. Only solidarity between the different groups makes it possible to struggle against the political forces that want to divide us in order to implement their policy of war and austerity.

The struggle against unemployment, precarity and social exclusion is necessary more than ever. Let’s mobilize for social standards on the European level and for universal social rights. Let’s demand a minimumincome for everybody that makes it possible to live in dignity and let’s struggle for socially useful work.

That’ s why we go on marching today, together with those, who think about and fight for real alternatives. We don’t want the austerity politics of the European institutions and the IMF. Let’s join the ‘Euromarchas2015’ and let’s go to the big manifestation against austerity politics and impoverishment on the 17th of october in Brussels.

Cologne, coordination of the European Marches, 27-09-2015

L’article Euromarches 2015- Euromarchas2015 est apparu en premier sur Euromarches.

The outcome of the ongoing battle against austerity will define the future not only of the Greeks but also the future of the European people who struggle for more democracy and equality. During the previous governments, Greece used to be a guinea pig but now is a positive example which some forces want to smash.

Therefore, there is a need for building a militant European social and political front against the pressure of the EU institutions, leading to the suffocation of the Greek society, and to the restart of the austerity programmes implemented already for 4 years by the previous governments with catastrophic results. The Greek people, by their mandate of the 25^th of January, condemned the austerity policies, as well as the anti-labour laws and the privatization programmes. The policies supported by SYRIZA have adopted the demands of the trade union and social movements of Europe for the last 10 years, and now we need the support of these movements in order to repel these pressures and to proceed with the progressive programme of social justice. The European Establishment needs to punish the counter-paradigm of social justice and democracy defended by the representatives of Greek people, because they’re afraid of it: Do not let them do it!

In the period from now till the upcoming June, negotiations are taking place among the Greek Government and the European Institutions. The economic elite find it difficult to accept that someone challenges their policies and propose an alternative plan for economy. They are using all means to blackmail the Greek people and its Government. Show us we are not alone in this fight!

We must put pressure on these institutions to cease this unacceptable behavior and make them accept that it is the citizens of Europe who must decide for their future. Based on the recent decisions of the Athens meeting on the 2^nd of May, we, a broad coalition of social organizations, unions and networks, intellectuals, artists, migrant organizations and various left, green and progressive political powers being active in Greece, propose international actions between the 20 and the 26^th of June in order to create the positive social and political environment that will support the Greek struggle. Moreover we are willing to host an event here in Athens on the 27^th to share ours and yours experiences of mobilizations and solidarity. It is significant to transform the European peoples from passive viewers to active players of this story.

This event will provide the necessary space to these actors in order to express their concern regarding the negotiations but mainly to bring to the surface the necessity of counterweighting the systemic pressures against the Greek Government’s demands against austerity and for social justice. It is of the outmost importance the necessity to send a clear political message. The Greek society doesn’t stand alone. We need to demonstrate that all of us are decided to support all the long time demands of the movement, which the Greek people by voting a left government to support them, decided to break the neoliberal consensus. Solidarity and massive popular support will give the best to a clash among our side and the European political and economic elite.

Let’s fight for a Europe of dignity and solidarity and against a Europe of profit, a Europe Fortress. We call all the social and political forces to be part of the week of solidarity and to build strong national coalitions backing the European struggle against austerity.

Signatories

Trachanatzis  Stathis  : General  Secretary of Athens Labour  Unios Organization & Member of the Board of the General Confederation of Greek Workers

Themistocles Amplas Chairman of the Board of Greece Transport Trade Union Federation

Anna  Kioutsokioglou – Poulaki / General  Secretary  Panhellinc  Federation  Of Tax Employees .

Nouchakis  Stavros : President of the Panhellenic Federation of Medical Representatives – Related Professions Pharmaceutical Industry

Stamatis Theodoropoulos — Board Member GENOP / PPC

Karagounis Athanasios -Board member of the Federation Administrative Employees Manpower Employment Organisation

Parasoglou Vangelis Chairman of the Board of the Association of Workers in BSH

Pasalidis Costas — Board Member SPARTAKOS / PPC

Capella Kazatza Dimitrios — An. Board Member GENOP / PPC, Member of the Labour Centre of Trikala

Moutakis Fotis — member DEI GENOP

Nikos Xydakis President of the Union of Electric Workers Bus Athens Piraeus.

Κelepoyris  Paraskevas  member of the board of Electric Workers Bus Athens Piraeus

Saridakis Antonis  member of the board of Electric Workers Bus Athens Piraeus

Fragos John member of the board of Electric Workers Bus Athens Piraeus

Ziogas Apostolis member of the board of Electric Workers Bus Athens Piraeus

Karasoulos Dimitris member President member of the board of Electric administrators Employees Bus Athens Piraeus

Kakoyros Dimitris President administrators  of the board of Electric Workers Bus Athens Piraeus

Vouziouris Alex President of administrators employees of Road Transport

Tegea Michael — Secretary Union Technical PPC / Aitoloakarnania

Kastrounis Sotiris — President BTB-EIF / PPC Paros

Mihalatos Thomas-Dimitrios — Board Member GENOP / PPC

Dimitris Papachristou — Chairman of the Workers’ Association Board of Directors in Nursing Home Athens

Paloukas  Lefteris — Board Member GENOP / PPC

Vassilis Damianos — Board Pensioners Federation PPC

Nouchoutidis Maria — Board Pensioners Federation PPC

Nouchoutidis George – ex. President Dockers Piraeus

Apollonatos  Memangelos Board member of the Association of Hospital Workers IASO

Lampos Socrates   President Association Medical Representatives Athens.

Kalavanos John Board member of Union Workers newsagents Athens

Boutsinas Stavros Board member of Bank of Piraeus Workers Association

 Taliakos  Dimitris,  Board of Association  of Employees Bank  Piraeus    ‘

 Bellios  Fotis,, Board of Association  of Employees  Bank  Piraeus

Arabpatzi  Nasa, Member  OF Audit Committee of Association  of Employees  Bank  Piraeus

– Papatriantafyllou Nikos board member of the General Confederation of Greek Workers and member of the board of the National Bank Employees Association

– Giorgos Mylonas Deputy Executive Secretary of  Athens Labour Unions Organization

 – Yannis Anastasiou member of the Executive Secretariat of the Federation Employees of Bank

– Kavadias Antonis / member of Executive Secretarial of the Federation Employees of Bank

– Tziva Emilia / member of the General Council of the Federation Employees of  Bank

– Nicholaou  Naya board member of the Association of Employees of the bank  Eurobank

– Sklavainas Andreas  board member of the Association of Employees of the bank  Eurobank

– George Spyropoulos board member of the Association of Employees of the bank  Eurobank

– Kanavou Joanna board member of the Association of Employees of the National Bank

George Petropoulos Member of the Executive Committee of ADEDY

Kalomoiris Gregory Member of the Executive Committee of ADEDY Mercia

Dimitris Member of the Executive Committee of ADEDY Zografaki Eleni Vice OLME

Harisis George General Secretary of POST and member of the General Council of the Panhellenic Federation of Workers of Local Government-organizations

Vassilis Gkitakos Vice Panhellenic Federation of Workers of Local Government-organizations

Minas Monastiridis member of the Executive Committee of the Panhellenic Federation of Workers of Local Government-organizations

DIKTIO (NETWORK FOR POLITICAL AND SOCIAL RIGHTS)

NETWORK OF IMMIGRANTS AND POLITICAL REFUGEES

NIKOS POULANTZAS INSTITUTE

SOLIDARITY FOR ALL

ATTAC  GREECE

OPEN CITY (PLATFORM FOR THE MUNICIPALITY OF ATHENS)

INICIATIVE FOR THE RIGHT’S OF PRISONERS

SAVE ACHELOOS RIVER

ECOLOGISTS RADICALS

NETWORK OF YOUNG PRECARIOUS EMPLOEEYS

OBSERVATORY OF INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS AND GLOBALISATION

CO-ORDINATING COMMITTEE OF THE CLEANING WOMEN OF THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE

ALBANIS YANNIS : member of the Organizing Committee of the ESF Athens

BIRBAS DIMITRIS:  Mayor of Municipality of Egaleo city.

GEORGOULAS STRATOS :   Assistant Professor of the University of Aegean and member of the Council of the Municipality of island Lesvos.

GIANNOPOULOS NIKOS : member of the Organizing Committee of the ESF Athens

KALIVIS ALEKOS : ex deputy President of GSEE

KOUMARIANOS GRIGORIS : Vice Mayor of Municipality of New Filadelfia city

PEPES ZOIS:  ex member of the General Secretariat of GSEE (Central Federation of Greek Workers)

TRIGAZIS PANOS: PRESIDENT OF THE OBSERVATORY OF INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS AND GLOBALISATION

VASILOPOULOS ARIS: Mayor of Municipality of New Filadelfia city

LAMTZIDIS MANOLIS MEMBER OF THE CITYCOUNCIL OF KALAMARIA

L’article Call for a European bottom up mobilization, from movements of Greece est apparu en premier sur Euromarches.

Organisations from all across Europe are currently gearing up for a European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) with the aim of repealing the European Union’s negotiating mandate for the Transatlantic Trade Investor Partnership (TTIP) and not concluding the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). The registration of the ECI is planned for July. The collection of signatures is due to start in September 2014.

As of now, more than 100 organisations from 17 EU member states have expressed support for the European Citizens’ Initaitive (ECI) while the EU-wide alliance is constantly growing – Attac groups from a number of EU countries, the European Environmental Bureau, Food and Water Europe and  the German branch of Transparency International have already joined the coalition. Campact, Attac, the Munich Environment Institute, the Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Unit (NABU) and More Democracy Germany (Mehr Demokratie e.V.) coordinate the preparations.

An ECI can request a legislative act from the European Commission and force a hearing at the European Parliament. For an ECI to be successful, at least one million signatures must be collected. At the same time, country-specific quorums must be achieved in at least seven EU member states. In Germany, for example, the quorum will be 72,000 signatures. France has to collect 55,500 signatures and the United Kingdom and Italy need 54,750 signatures. Estonia, Malta, Luxembourg and Cyprus have to collect 4,5000 signatures. The level of the quorum depends on each country’s number of deputies in the European Parliament. The most notorious ECI so far is “right2water”. It led to the exclusion of the liberalisation of water supply from the scope of the EU directive on concessions.

More information on the ECI against TTIP and CETA will be announced at a press conference in Brussels in mid-July 2014. An invitation for the conference will follow. If you wish to be updated on the ECI you can subscribe to the ECI’s press mailing list by contacting Regine Laroche of Mehr Demokratie e.V. (presse@mehr-demokratie.de).

Press Contact:
Regine Laroche
presse(at)mehr-demokratie.de
www.mehr-demokratie.de

L’article Press release: European Citizens’ Initiative against TTIP and CETA to start soon est apparu en premier sur Euromarches.

L’article A New Path For Europe is what we want, now! est apparu en premier sur Euromarches.

Press Release
International Blockupy Alliance
24th of November 2013

450 participants at international Blockupy Action conference in Frankfurt + + + Decentralized actiondays in May + + + transnationalization of the Alliance

The opening of the new building of the European Central Bank in Frankfurt am Main will be in focus of the Blockupy protests next year. This was decided at the weekend in Frankfurt with more than 450 participants attending the international Blockupy Action Conference. “The ECB has announced a ‘big event ’ in the fall 2014 – this event will be us. We invite all those who oppose in Europe and beyond the impoverishment policy for the fall 2014 to Frankfurt. “This will not take place as an undisturbed opening ceremony!”, said Blockupy spokesman Christian Linden. Since the date of the opening ceremony has not been fixed yet, the Alliance plans to mobilize to “Day X” as it is also known from the Anti-Castor-movement in Germany.

“Our struggle for #democracy, #solidarity and #commons is also explicitly directed against a right-wing populist Euro-criticism.”, said spokesman Hanno Bruchmann. Continue reading →

L’article Mobilization to “Day X”: Blockupy wants to disturb ECB opening est apparu en premier sur Euromarches.

The financial crisis is a systemic crisis that emerges in the context of global crises (climate, food, and energy, social…) and of a new balance of power. It results from 30 years of transfer of income from labour towards capital. This tendency should be reversed. This crisis is the consequence of a capitalist system of production based on laissez-faire and fed by short term accumulation of profits by a minority, unequal redistribution of wealth, natural resource plunder and the privatization of public services. This crisis affects the whole humanity, first of all the most vulnerable (workers, jobless, farmers, migrants, women…) and Southern countries, which are the victims of a crisis for which they are not at all responsible.

The resources to get out of the crisis merely burden the public with the losses in order to save, with no real public benefit, a financial system that is at the root of the current cataclysm. Where are the resources for the populations which are the victims of the crisis? The world not only needs regulations, but also a new paradigm which puts the financial system at the service of a new international democratic system based on the satisfaction of human rights, decent work, food sovereignty, respect for the environment, cultural diversity, the social and solidarity economy and a new concept of wealth. Therefore, we demand to:

* Put a reformed and democratised United Nations at the heart of the financial system reform, as the G20 is not the legitimate forum to resolve this systemic crisis.
* Establish international permanent and binding mechanisms of control over capital flows.
* Implement an international monetary system based on a new system of reserves, including the creation of regional reserve currencies in order to end the current supremacy of the dollar and to ensure international financial stability.
* Implement a global mechanism of state and citizen control of banks and financial institutions. Financial intermediation should be recognised as a public service that is guaranteed to all citizens in the world.
* Prohibit hedge funds and over the counter markets, where derivatives and other toxic products are exchanged without any public control.
* Eradicate speculation on commodities, first of all food and energy, by implementing public mechanisms of price stabilisation.
* Dismantle tax havens, sanction their users (individuals, companies, banks and financial intermediates) and create an international tax organisation to combat tax competition and evasion.
* Establish a new international system of wealth sharing by implementing a progressive tax system at the national level and by creating global taxes (on financial transactions, polluting activities and high income) to finance global public goods.

We call on NGOs, trade unions and social movements to converge in order to create a citizen struggle in favour of this new model. We urge them to mobilize all over the world, in particular in the face of the G20, from March 28th onwards.

The signatures of organizations are to be sent to finance[at]eurodad.org
(Name of the organisation, country, email contact)

This call is the result of a series of seminars at the World Social Forum 2009 in Belem, which involved among others : Action Aid, Attac, BankTrack, CADTM, CCFD, CEDLA, CNCD, CRID, Eurodad, Global alternatives Forum, IBON, International WG on Trade-Finance Linkages, LATINDADD, Networkers South-North, NIGD, SOMO, Tax Justice Network, Transform!, OWINFS, War on Want, World Council of Churches.

PDF-Version

L’article For a new economic and social model – Let’s put finance in its place! est apparu en premier sur Euromarches.

Speaking ahead of the summit on 18 December, ETUC Secretary General, Bernadette Ségol, announced that a European trade union demonstration will take place in Brussels on 4 April 2014, as the European Parliament prepares to elect new members.

→ read more →

L’article Crisis cannot be solved without sound social basis – ETUC announces European demonstration for 4 April est apparu en premier sur Euromarches.