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100,000 European trade unionists take to the streets to oppose austerity measures

Issue date
ETUC demo

More than 100,000 trade unionists from throughout Europe took to the streets of Brussels on the 29 September to oppose austerity measures which, if not halted, will have disastrous social and economic results.

Unions gather before the march


Parallel national protests also took place across Europe include a general strike in Spain, and demonstrations in Italy, France, Portugal, Lithuania, Latvia, Germany, Cyprus, Serbia, Poland , Finland and Ireland. Protests were held this week in Bucharest and Prague which brought together more than 20,000 and 40,000 people respectively.

Trade unionists from the UK, from the CWU, FBU, NASUWT, NUT, PCS, POA, RMT, UCU, Unison, Unite and the National Pensioners Convention travelled to Brussels to march against the austerity measures that many European governments are implementing as a response to the global economic crisis. Trade unionists along with Social Democrats and Socialists from across Europe were calling for governments to grow out of this crisis rather than risk a double dip recession and mass unemployment.

UK unions had a strong presence at the demo


The ETUC march and rally is one of the first events to take place since the launch of the TUC's All Together for Public Services campaign at the Congress in Manchester earlier this month.

The NUT supports the All Together for Public Services Campaign


TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: 'All across Europe governments have become obsessed with immediate deficit reduction and are embarking on cuts programmes of such magnitude that the fragile recovery of the continent's economies is threatened.

'Unions aren't asking governments to ignore the deficit, just to discard the timetable that demands deficit reduction now and instead to concentrate on boosting growth and jobs. We also need a fairer system of taxation so that Europe's economies can get back onto a firmer footing and avoid the risk of another recession.

'If there was ever a case why severe cuts in spending are not the answer we need look no further than across the Irish Sea where the spectre of a double-dip recession is looming large, and where despite huge cuts in spending, Ireland faces another austerity budget, its fourth in two years.'

With fears that the cuts announced by the UK Government are already hitting the most vulnerable hardest, and with more cuts set to be announced next month, unions in towns and cities across the UK - including Nottingham, Newcastle, Leeds, Northallerton and Belfast - will also be using today to raise awareness amongst local residents of the impact the cuts will have on their communities.

John Monks, General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation which organised the Brussels march, said 'Trade unionism is on an unstoppable march for progress, equality and justice, determined to build from the debris of the current crisis, a new, better society where those who are too big to fail cannot be allowed to continue to ignore those who they have regarded as too small to matter.'

Rally and Lobby of Parliament Tuesday Oct 19

On Wednesday October 20 the Government will reveal the full extent of the cuts to come. Join the TUC for a rally and lobby of parliament the day before. Hear just how damaging the cuts will be. Press the case for an alternative to coalition MPs.

More details here

View more photos from the day

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