Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-03-11-Speech-2-138"

Predicate	Value (sorted: default)
rdf:type	lpv_eu:Speech2
dcterms:Date	"2003-03-11"^^xsd:date2
dcterms:Is Part Of	lp_eu:Employment strategy and social policy2
dcterms:Language	"en"^^xsd:language2
lpv:document identification number	"en.20030311.6.2-138"2
lpv:hasSubsequent	lp_eu:2003-03-11-Speech-2-1392
lpv:speaker	lp:Philip Bushill-matthews2
lpv:spoken text	"Mr President, I hope that my good friend Thomas Mann has forgiven me for not voting for the report in committee, and indeed that he will forgive me again, as he knows I will not be supporting it in the plenary. There are many points that I welcome in his report; the recognition of the need to deliver the Lisbon conclusions, the encouragement and support for SMEs and the need to improve employment of disadvantaged groups in society. But I do not accept the basic thrust of the report that one of the solutions is to strengthen the roles of the social partners. I am all for social dialogue, but this should be between employees and employers within their companies. The rapporteur confirmed the importance of SMEs as the motor of employment, but SMEs have only a tiny voice within UNICE and most of their employees do not have membership of trade unions. So within the social partners their voice goes virtually unheard, and yet the social partners presume to speak for them. There was an interesting report in the UK press at the weekend about Germany: Chancellor Schröder was apparently finding it increasingly difficult to get acceptance of much-needed labour market reforms because the social partners were blocking them. A German minister was quoted as saying 'when it becomes necessary to drain the swamp, you don't stand around asking the frogs'. With unemployment approaching 5 million in that country, the swamp is getting bigger and the need for change is very clear. So I am all for social justice and social inclusion, but the biggest enemy of both is unemployment. Governments need to do what is necessary to address this. Clinging on to outdated concepts does not help; strengthening the role of the social partners simply leads to more paralysis. If some countries wish to persist in this, it is of course up to them. But please, rapporteur, please, Commissioner, do not inflict such concepts on the rest of us."@en1
lpv:spokenAs	member; EPP-ED (1999-07-20--2004-07-19)3 member; Delegation for relations with the Mashreq countries and the Gulf (2002-02-07--2004-07-19)3 member; EMPL (2002-01-17--2004-07-19)3 unknown; Conservative and Unionist Party (1999-07-20--2004-07-19)3 substitute; Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Policy (2002-01-17--2004-07-19)3
lpv:unclassifiedMetadata	"Bushill-Matthews (PPE-DE )."1

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