Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-10-23-Speech-1-073"
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"en.20001023.7.1-073"2
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"Mr President, now that we have had a return to growth, it is crucial for the European Union to provide itself with the means to meet expectations in the social sector.
The Commission communication highlights a raft of ambitious objectives, such as full employment, equal opportunities, training, etc., but there are many contradictions between the European Union’s declared ambitions and its political decisions. Among other aspects, let me cite the concern for productivity, which generally involves wage moderation as a priority. I would therefore like to join my fellow Members in congratulating Anne Van Lancker on her report, which opens up new perspectives, with an approach which aims for greater precision and greater coherence.
Her report appreciably builds on the Commission’s proposals by suggesting the harmonisation of social regulations and the coordination of national social legislation. It calls for a genuine European agreement to be framed in favour of employment and social cohesion and proposes initiatives on the gradual reduction of working time prior to retirement, the introduction of a minimum wage and cross-border supervision in relation to social and fiscal law.
This is all a specific encouragement to go beyond laudable intentions and actually take practical action. Moreover, at a time when a great many employees of major European industrial groups face redundancy plans in the context of mergers and restructuring, I think it important for the report on the social agenda to take a stand in favour of taking social clauses into consideration in competition policy, in favour of directives to this end and in favour of a revision of the European Works Council Directive as well as the directive on redundancies. This, I feel, is part of the consistent approach which we are lacking.
I am pleased to see, furthermore, that Mrs Van Lancker has included a number of amendments tabled by my Group, particularly that on factoring in the social dimension of enlargement and incorporating the right to strike into Community legislation. Together with my Group, I have tabled some amendments criticising the Commission’s approach calling for the adoption of wage restraint. I advocate the reduction of working times without a concomitant reduction in salaries. Having said that, I support Anne Van Lancker’s report, which has the great merit of adopting an ambitious social policy backed up by specific objectives which go beyond the usual purely formal declarations."@en1
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