The EMF Conference launched the 2nd Common Demand: “For more secure employment, against precarious work”, which will be included in the collective bargaining demands of all its 75 affiliated trade unions and in future collective bargaining rounds throughout Europe over the next four years.

The trade unions’ fight for the protection of millions of workers employed under precarious working and living conditions is a united European fight. The EMF Conference sends the clear message to the metalworking industries and governments that we no longer tolerate that these workers have to put up with poor conditions. “Workers must have the right to decent work and to dignified and decent living standards,“ said Bart Samyn, the EMF Deputy General Secretary.

The delegates expressed the view that collective bargaining is an effective instrument to defend workers’ interests in the current crisis and this should be based on the following:

* secure employment, avoiding plant closures and redundancies;

* an active wage policy aimed at a strong increase in real wages and income support, for only with a secure income can internal demand within the EU be stabilized and risks of deflation rejected;

* stronger European coordination of collective bargaining since the undercutting of wages must be avoided at all costs;

* stronger European cooperation at company level;

* stabilizing lowest incomes by minimum wages where relevant;

* enlarging and defending the coverage rate of collectively bargained wages.

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FEM 43/2009

The EMF is the representative body defending the interests of workers in the European metal industry. The EMF has a mandate for the external representation and coordination of the metalworkers' unions and a mandate to engage in bargaining at European level.

For further information please contact the EMF.