Game Over? Maybe for Commissioner Rehn but not for the vast majority of European women and men
(Brussels, 11 September, 2013) Commissioner Rehn’s proposal for wage erosion in Spain to emulate the Irish and Latvian “success stories” comes as an incendiary statement that flies in the face of the lived hardship experienced by Latvian and Irish women and men, having lost 20 and 15% of all jobs!
This proposal, initially called for by the IMF, backed up by the Commissioner, concerns a “social agreement” between business and trade unions accepting a 10 % wage cut over two years to reduce unemployment in Spain.
The only lesson to learn from Latvia is that action to restore growth must come first!
The EWL has read and supports the European Trade Union Confederation in delivering their statement of objection in an open letter to Commissioner Rehn. The EWL stands in solidarity against this promotion of a downward spiral of wage erosion, cutting ordinary people’s standard of living and promoting a race to the bottom!
