European Call for a broad action against unemployment
Today there are 20 million officially-registered unemployed in the European Union and 50 million people living below the poverty line.
Each of us could become a victim of this situation. Social cleavages are deepening, unemployment and poverty put each individual in a precarious situation, worsen working conditions of those still in a job and push wages and social benefits down.
This situation is intolerable.
First text about the Marches
Our greatest fear is that either the discussions will be limited to the institutional questions or that, behind the rhetoric about employment as a priority, measures will be taken which make jobs still more insecure.
In general, everything leads us to think that the social questions which are major concern of the people in our countries will not be dealt with.
We think, that, to the contrary, a radical and resolute policy of a fight against unemployment is necessary.
This policy must, as an urgent measure, make it possible for all the unemployed and those living in poverty to live decently, which means the right to housing, the right to an adequate income...
We cannot accept a society in which unemployment continues. We reaffirm the need for full employment and thus the creation of new jobs, in particular in sectors like health, education and environmental protection, which answer social needs.
The reduction of mass unemployment means, in a period in which there are big gains productivity,a massive reduction in working time, without loss of wages.
For these politiical proposals to be heardn there has to be a mobilisation of all, women and men, those with jobs and without, farmers, students and the retired, living in Europe.
We propose that a broad-based action against unemployment be organised at a European level at the time of the Inter-governmental Conference.
There are several possibilities:
- a European Conference;
- Joint initiatives in all the major European cities;
- marches by unemployed and workers across Europe for two months coming together in Amsterdam in June 1997;
- or any other initiatives.
Marizio Poletto CGIL / Unemployed Information Centre, Piedmont and
national leadership / Italy
Giorgio Sasso CGIL / Unemployed Information Centre, Turin / Italy
Jose Maria Olaizola Albeniz General Secretary of the CGT / Spain
Uwe Wolf »Express« / sozialistisches Büro / Germany
Christophe Aguiton, Frederique Pasquier, Thierry Temime
Agir Ensemble Contre le Chômage (Act together against unemployment)/ France
