- Conference
- 2003 National Delegate Conference
- Date
- 19 February 2003
- Decision
- Carried as Amended
Conference notes the grievous consequences of the European Union’s Stability Pact and the Maastricht Treaty convergence terms for unemployment, reduced public spending and deepening economic recession across the Eurozone, and congratulates the National Executive Council for its leading role in the developing labour movement campaign against British membership of the euro.
Conference also notes the decisions of the Nice, Berlin and Copenhagen European Union (EU) summits in strengthening central control over economic, foreign and defence policy and the increasing enforcement of qualified majority voting. These decisions include an even stronger commitment to the enforcement of competition policy, privatisation and neo-liberal employment practices.
Conference views with great concern the plans by the EU Commission to enact within the coming year, 2004, a constitution that entrenches these powers and converts the EU into a fully federal body with its own prime minister and president. This represents a profound shift in the political structure of Europe and could jeopardise employment, public expenditure and the European social model. Conference further notes the failure of the Convention to include a reference to quality public services. In these circumstances Conference believes the TUC must be asked to develop a pro-public service worker agenda. To further this end Conference instructs the National Executive Council to:
1)continue to monitor developments relating to the European Convention;
2)continue to campaign at a European level, particularly within the European Public Services Union and the European TUC for a fairer, more equitable European Union;
3)continue to work with our sister unions across the European Union to develop a shared agenda against privatisation, unemployment and racism.