Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2017-02-14-Speech-2-1818-000"
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"en.20170214.34.2-1818-000"2
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"Mr President, I want to focus mainly on the report from the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs, not least because my Group is not going to be supporting the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs report. We felt that the general message that if only we follow the Growth and Stability Pact all will be well, fails to give some real weight to the need to ensure we have balance between the economic development that we need and the social dimension of our considerations, given that we want to improve the quality of life and future prospects for many people within the European Union. And it is not just, I think, a question, as has been said earlier, about the pursuit of growth. It is a lot as well about its distribution, whether it is inclusive, whether it is actually reducing those gaps that we have, as well, of course, as its environmental effect.
We welcome the progress made on achieving a better balance between the economic and social dimensions. It is something that this Parliament has pushed for from the very start of this process. But we still want to assert that employment and economic indicators have to be on an equal footing, because this triggers an in-depth analysis and the corrective action that is necessary in relative Member States. There is certainly a need for corrective action if we are to tackle the gross inequalities that still exist in too many places: inequality of income, inequality of opportunity and too much of that lack of opportunity is still based on social class and discrimination. And some of us in this House, in fact I feel a majority, still think it is shocking that we actually have a gender pay gap and that so many people are unable to use their talents because of discrimination.
So we need to reduce those gaps to ensure that our social security systems can meet the needs of changing societies and our changing work patterns and provide a genuine work-life balance. We need to provide relevant lifelong learning, not least in STEM and digital skills so that people can find new employment in decent jobs that pay a living wage. And we still have too many people in poverty even if they are in work. So we really do need to take seriously the question about adequate minimum income schemes at whatever stage of life you are in.
As we have also been hearing, we still have far too many children disadvantaged from the very beginning of their lives and we do need to deliver on the child guarantee. And we also need to deliver on decent housing. This is an investment: it provides jobs, it provides social stability, better health and an important basis from which those that can find work can do so. And we would certainly agree about the engagement of stakeholders being crucial and this is something which Member States have yet to really improve."@en1
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