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Google free translation service: Deutsch, Français, Español, Svenska, Italiano, Português - About these links News onlineStop the cutthroat competition, Interview with Malene Volkers at ETF 2009 Congress 28 May 2009
The economic crisis should not be used by employers to skimp on workers wages and working conditions, say the ETF affiliated unions. Transport trade unions belonging to the ETF family take stock of the constant decrease of social standards for transport workers. Malene Volkers, Ver.di representative and member of the ETF road transport section says: “Transport has been too cheap. National and European politicians have paid little attention to the development of sustainable transport services and infrastructure. Thus, today, companies and operators are being hit hard by the crisis, but the ones who suffer the most are, once again, the workers. Employers seem to quickly adapt to new conditions and cry out for the need to reduce the cost of labour within the industry. In Germany, more and more companies continue to block collective bargaining negotiations while pressuring workers to accept compromises in terms of pay and working conditions. They are ultimately in search of cheaper labour, and they are prepared to ‘import’ a cheap workforce or export their business to countries that have weaker legislation and more relaxed taxation policies. This is why in today’s Europe it’s not enough to say: ‘My union in my country is strong!’ We need a strong presence at European level! We need the European trade union front, which the ETF has been building for years. The 2009 Congress comes at the right time to pull together national strength into a European transport workers’ movement. We need, for instance, to act in full support of the European Works’ Councils. Where they do not yet exist, we have to build trade union networks, much as we are currently doing in companies such as Kuhne & Nagel. At Congress, unions are increasingly discussing how to organise mobile workers at the European level. I have the feeling that transport unions are now more than ever prepared to take the decisive step and start mobilising at the European level, which will thus compliment and strengthen the union movement nationally. This is what we need! The crisis is a wake-up call for the industry and policy makers. The ETF makes the point that now is the time to stop the cutthroat competition! It is time for them to start investing in a sustainable future for transport in our Europe!”
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