- Conference
- 2008 National Delegate Conference
- Date
- 20 February 2008
- Decision
- Carried
Conference notes that the term ‘flexicurity’ and its basic principles have been adopted by European Union (EU) leaders when on the 13th December 2007 they rubberstampted the renamed EU constitution in Lisbon, Portugal.
This term has been introduced by the European Commission to suggest that if a worker accepts flexibility, job security at work will follow. That is a complete contradiction, of course. In essence ‘flexicurity’ is a policy designed to remove collective bargaining rights from workers and casualise the job market.
‘Flexicurity’ represents a fundamental attack on workers’ rights and the principles of effective and democratic trade unionism are being actively undermined by EU institutions.
UNISON Conference rejects such an approach and reiterates its previous demand for a referendum on the constitution which will enshrine ‘flexicurity’ in its relentless drive to privatise public services.
Conference calls on UNISON’s representatives in Trades Union Congress and European Public Service Union (EPSU) to press for:
1)trade union opposition to the concert of flexicurity and the neo liberal policies of deregulated labour markets, privatisation and wage restraint being pursued by the EU Council of Ministers, European Central Bank and European Commission;
2)co-ordinated campaigning by trade unions across all EU members states.