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An EU trade policy for decent work

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The TUC is calling for decent work to be put at heart of the EU's trade and development work, in its submission to the European Commission's current consultation.

The TUC submission calls on the EU to promote:

-universal social protection, quality education and public services, and respect for labour standards and social dialogue, especially for workers in the informal economy (question 4);

-proactive industrial policies, that allow developing countries to move into high valued-added industries generating green and decent jobs (question 2);

-stronger tax collection capacity, and macro-economic policies aimed at full employment and the reduction of inequality (questions 3 and 4);

-protection of quality public services, and excluding the liberalisation of the temporary movement of workers from trade policy (question 11);

-public procurement that drives decent work (question 12);

-enforceable standards for responsible investment (questions 8, 9, 10, 16 and 17);

-strengthening respect for core labour standards (questions 13 and 14) including opposing trade agreements with serial labour rights abusers such as Colombia (question 19);

-best practice programmes building mature systems of industrial relations in global supply chains (questions 17 and 22); and

-more transparent and consultative trade policy-making including through supporting capacity building and participation of trade unions, especially in the developing world (questions 22 and 25).

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