May Day Speech by Peter Scherrer, Rožnik, Ljubljana (Slovenia)

However, besides all these successes, there is also enormous pressure on the social security system in Slovenia. Pension and social security reforms place a great burden on employees. At 6.5% unemployment is still clearly too high. The process of social and economic change has often resulted in unemployment and social hardships for older and less qualified employees. In the European Union millions of people are still without work and millions are living on the breadline. Rapid changes in many industrial sectors are causing thousands of people to lose their jobs. Multinational companies are implementing Europe-wide restructuring programmes in which more and more employees from many European countries are played off against one another. We can counter these attempts to divide employees in Europe into winners and losers in order to increase profits in one way: determined solidarity. It is only by fighting together for our common goals that we will we be strong enough to resist management attempts to divide the workforce. It is only by fighting together that we will be able to safeguard and create jobs and for this we need Europe-wide solidarity.

As trade unions we know that there is no alternative to the European Union and to a unified Europe. We can only effectively face the challenges of globalisation, job losses in the industrial and public service sectors, increasing competition between sites and increasing pressure on wages and working conditions from employers by working together. Only a policy based on solidarity can secure our victory in this joint battle. We must fight together to ensure that the “European social model” becomes a genuine social reality for all Europeans. Freedom, democracy and peace are the values upon which the European Union was founded, but the creation of a social Europe is of equal importance. Undignified working conditions and wages, which do not provide people with a decent life, should not exist in such a Europe. We must fight to ensure young people stand a chance in an ever more cut throat job market. Growing old in dignity should go without saying in this Europe. We should not accept that those who have worked long and hard throughout their lives are classed as a burden to the economy! We will fight together for a Europe in which all people are able to lead a decent life.

Slovenia will for the first time preside over the EU Council for a duration of six months as from 1st January 2008. We want to ensure together, with the Slovenian trade unions, that the interests of workers in the European Union are represented effectively during this period. The Slovenian trade unions have always supported the process of political change and have always been in favour of Europe. The Slovenian trade unions have therefore made an important contribution to the unity and solidarity of the European trade unions. We want to thank you for your solidarity!

Peter Scherrer
EMF General Secretary