Italian and British trade unions join in opposing Prime Minister Cameron’s agenda for Europe

Joint statement CGIL CISL UIL TUC

On the occasion of the meeting between Prime Ministrs Renzi and Cameron on Wednesday 17 June, Italian and British trade unions join in opposing Prime Minister Cameron’s agenda for Europe.

Since the decision to hold a referendum on UK membership of the EU by 2017, it has become clear that Prime Minister Cameron’s view of Europe is one that would only benefit businesses not workers.

His strategy is to impose a moratorium on social and employment measures at EU level, to weaken working conditions and to reduce workers' rights such as to holidays, rest breaks, and fair treatment for part-time and agency workers, and ultimately to repatriate these competences to the national level, so that they could easily be repealed (something that cannot be done if these measures are enshrined in EU law).

Although this programme is aimed at UK workers, Italian unions join their British counterparts in expressing the fear that they will affect workers in Italy and across Europe, widening inequalities and economic and social imbalances.

Working people in the UK reject the false choice between leaving the EU and staying in an EU stripped of protections for workers, consumers and the environment.EU needs new policies for growth and development, which can be better  achieved together in the EU.

Italian workers in the UK (and elsewhere in Europe) would also stand to lose from Cameron’s renegotiation if he is successful in re-writing the ground rules underpinning freedom of movement of workers, creating a two-tier workforce by restricting access to the in-work benefits that low paid workers rely on.

For these reasons trade unions in Italy and UK call on Prime Minister Renzi to resist Cameron’s attempts to unravel the EU for his own purposes. His motives do not benefit working people in either country and in Europe at large.

Cooperating together in Europe is the only way to achieve social cohesion and general well-being.

CGIL - Confederazione Generale Italiana del Lavoro CISL - Confederazione Italiana Sindacati Lavoratori UIL - Unione Italiana del Lavoro TUC - Trades Union Congress