Isabelle Barthès, Deputy General Secretary of industriAll Europe, brought “the fraternal greetings of the 200 trade unions united in industriAll Europe” and reaffirmed support for the Belgian mobilisation on 12 May. The protest calls for stronger purchasing power, full automatic wage indexation and decent pensions, demands shared by workers across Europe.
Against growing economic uncertainty and pressure on European industry, industriAll Europe outlined two urgent priorities:
- Defending industrial jobs and living standards. In many countries, workers’ purchasing power still has not recovered from the pandemic, while a new economic and social crisis is already looming. “Workers must no longer be the shock absorbers of crises they did not create,” stressed Isabelle Barthès. Co-ordinated European action is urgently needed to curb soaring energy prices and speculation, including tougher measures against market manipulation, taxes on excess profits and EU crisis tools to protect jobs and incomes. This has to go hand in hand with fair taxation; workers have already paid enough through successive crises.
- Stopping Europe’s de-industrialisation and rebuilding industrial capacity. Europe risks falling behind competitors such as the United States and China because of political hesitation and underinvestment. Europe needs a strong industrial policy based on public investment, strategic autonomy and protection against unfair competition. Public funding for industry must come with binding guarantees for workers, including quality jobs, collective bargaining, health and safety, skills development and employment protection.
Isabelle Barthes also highlighted the importance of trade union unity and collective action, shown for example during the industriAll Europe’s campaign on good industrial jobs which culminated with the mobilisation in Brussels last year, where 6,000 industrial workers demanded investment, quality jobs and stronger workers’ rights, helping push industrial policy back to the centre of the European agenda.
She concluded with a tribute to ABVV Metaal president Rohnny Champagne for his commitment to international trade union solidarity reminding the congress that when workers organise across borders, they are unstoppable.
IndustriAll Europe congratulates Marc Pottelancie, the newly elected president of ABVV Metaal, and reaffirms its commitment to continue working together for good industrial jobs and stronger workers’ rights across Europe.