Minister believes EU constitution would strengthen unions

Minister
for Europe, Denis MacShane,
believes trade unions would be much stronger under the EU constitution.

The
constitution was agreed by EU heads of state in June, and now has to be agreed
separately in each member country. It contains a Charter of Fundamental Rights,
which protects workers rights.

Writing
in the French magazine Le Monde, MacShane said a ‘no’ vote on the constitution
would be a disaster for the unions.

“[Voting
no] would be an error for the European left, a disaster for the unions, and
would endanger the future of 300 million European workers,” he wrote.

Last
week, Personnel Today revealed that
the Government and unions would set up a trade union learning academy to train
union representatives to university levels.

For
more on the trade union learning academy, go to www.personneltoday.com/goto/25249

Michael Millar