In a letter to Economic Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn, ETUC general secretary John Monks accused the Commission of reducing member states like Ireland and Greece to “quasi-colonial status” through its rigid austerity programme.
The confederation warned that as countries struggle to escape the economic crisis, EU officials are ignoring established social dialogue procedures by imposing cuts in minimum wages and pension entitlements
and demanding laxer labour market regulation.
Mr Monks contrasted European leaders’ “relaxed” attitude to bankers’ bonuses with the unprecedented intervention countries like Portugal and Spain – and even those outside the eurozone – face from the Commission and financial institutions as the crisis unfolds.
Mr Monks told Tribune: “The new austerity rules are so tough, it’s European cohesion with a vengeance. But it’s not the cohesion we want. There are no positive things, such as stronger social governance. The crisis should have been an opportunity for the left, but it has been seized by the right to liberalise economies.”
The Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition in Britain is already imposing one of Europe’s toughest austerity regimes, said Mr Monks. But countries like Ireland, where dialogue between government, employers and unions has been a feature of policy-making, are watching their social consensus being dismantled. “We have to fight this, but I’m afraid we are going to end up fighting Europe. I have real concerns about trade unions’ ability to represent their members’ interests in some countries.”
