Spelling out the benefits of retaining EU membership

It was clear in the Queen’s Speech that the government will press ahead with referendum on the EU before 2017.  Cameron wants to negotiate a 'new settlement' in Europe. 

Decisions made in Europe have a real impact on the North East Economy; according to South Bank University there are over 140,000 North East jobs dependent on EU trade alone.

While leaving the EU does not imply that these jobs would disappear overnight, the concern is that our region and its employers would certainly be at a competitive disadvantage. In the last 5 years £498 million from EU funds has been invested in the North East for local business development and training for the long term unemployed.

The facts remain:

• 50% of direct foreign investment to the UK comes from other EU member states, worth £351 billion a year.
• 51% of UK car and commercial vehicle exports in 2012 went to the EU
• The EU is the largest economy in the world, worth £11 trillion. (USA is worth £10.3 trillion, China £5.4 trillion and Japan 2.7 trillion.)

This all adds up to a significant economic advantage of being part of the European Union.

It would also be remiss not to emphasise the crucial employment benefits for working people it has brought:

• at least 1 day off a week,
• 20 minutes break if you work more than 6 hours,
• 11 hours rest from work each day,
• not working more than 48 hours per week if you don't want to and
• 4 weeks paid holiday a year.

These are merely a handful of the hundreds of employment rights negotiated by European Governments and guaranteed by European Law. These currently fundamental rights are the 'bureaucracies' David Cameron wants to negotiate away from Europe, prior to a referendum.

Contrary to anti-EU rhetoric, being part of the EU appears to be helping UK workers, employers and the economy more than its own government.

Beth Farhat

Northern TUC Regional Secretary