Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-11-14-Speech-2-443"
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"en.20061114.41.2-443"2
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"Mr President, in order to be credible and genuinely effective, we have to demonstrate that the GSP+ scheme is working properly. In other words, the EU must act swiftly and decisively when there are infringements of the social or environmental standards in question. This is not merely a theoretical or academic discussion, but a very real discussion about real countries.
The case of El Salvador has already been raised. In fact, El Salvadorian workers have for years seen incredible resistance by their own Government, company owners and the right-wing media to try to avoid, or at least delay, the implementation of core labour conventions, and it is very unfortunate that an EU Member State, Spain, has seemingly supported them in that attempt.
However, the fact that the El Salvadorian Government has recently ratified four key ILO conventions is not the real victory it might seem, because by reforming its civil service laws the Government has actually succeeded in removing large numbers of workers from any possible benefits of those ILO conventions. That is totally unacceptable, and I therefore formally ask the Commission to initiate without delay an investigation into the situation in El Salvador and to consider a temporary withdrawal of GSP preferences. I would be happy to furnish the Commissioner with further details from the trade union groups and civil societies in El Salvador.
Colombia is another case of blatant violation of workers’ rights, despite the window dressing of official enshrinement of ILO conventions. The monthly and often weekly reports of trade union members ‘disappearing’ and being killed tell the true story of the blood toll paid by those who dare to assume that ILO rights officially adopted in theory will actually be respected in practice. We cannot wait until December 2008 before we review these cases. I ask the Commission to review them now."@en1
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