Course on EU policy for EMF affiliates (2009)

Description

Representatives from EMF-affiliated trade unions in 6 countries met at the training centre of the Finnish Metalworkers' Union, to learn more about EMF and EU policies. The structure, principles, policies and main committees of the EMF were presented, followed by details of the priority policy on coordination of collective bargaining. In the ensuing discussions some of the principles involved in this coordination work were addressed. In the context of the current financial crisis, exchange of information about collective agreements aiming to prevent or reduce the scope of collective redundancies was particularly vital, since misrepresentation of such agreements in the media is being used by employers and governments to put pressure on unions to accept concession bargaining. The outcome of negotiations on agreements on workers' involvement in SEs was also presented. The participants then addressed some case studies on cross-border restructuring from different perspectives, trying to define how an effective coordination between trade unions, local representation bodies, EWCs and the EMF could be organised. The working groups agreed that the main aim should be to preserve as many jobs as possible, whilst the reasons given by management for the restructuring needed to be questioned and alternatives to collective redundancies should be explored in a coordinated way.