Prodi sees unions, employers as protagonists of change

The European Trade Union Confederation said it respected the anti-membership stand adopted by the General Workers' Union, even if it was the only trade union in the candidate states which was opposing its country's accession into the EU.

ETUC secretary general Emilio Gabaglio said he did not intend to put pressure on the GWU to change its position, even though Europe was moving towards a "major historical, political and economic event".

Mr Gabaglio was speaking to The Times shortly after addressing a news conference following the Social Dialogue Summit held in Brussels on Thursday.

The summit brought together the social partners of 30 European countries: from the 15 member states, the 13 candidate countries, and the two countries pertaining to the European Economic Area.

The ETUC is a strong supporter of enlargement and in its executive committee official position taken in June, 2000 it proclaimed that it "strongly opposed any kind of so-called partial membership arrangement in the ongoing enlargement process".

Mr Gabaglio said the social partners at the summit discussed enlargement in line with the congress and executive committee policy document.

"The GWU objects to Malta's entry into the EU, but the CMTU (Confederation of Malta Trade Unions) is in favour - and the country is fully following membership," was Mr Gabaglio's curt reply when asked whether he deemed it odd that an EU-sceptic union was among those which had discussed enlargement during the summit.

"This is what we consider the reunification of Europe, and for us, Malta is welcome. But it's up to the Maltese people to decide whether they want to take up this opportunity or not."

He said that at no point did GWU general secretary Tony Zarb intervene during the summit.

Mr Gabaglio said he had personally been handed the document outlining the GWU's official EU stand when he was in Malta two years ago.

He said he did not intend to put pressure on the GWU to change its anti-membership stand, even at this 11th hour.

"We put to them our views but we must be respectful of their democratic decision-making process," he commented.

Mr Gabaglio was recently in the limelight after a letter he sent to the GWU expressing the ETUC's support for EU enlargement was sent to the rival CMTU by mistake.

The GWU subsequently suspended relations with the CMTU and the Union Haddiema Maghqudin after the contents of the letter were leaked to the press.

During the summit, the ETUC, which represents the European trade unions, and the employers' representatives - the Union of Industrial and Employers' Confederations of Europe, the European Association of Craft Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, and the European Centre of Enterprises - affirmed their intention to develop a work programme for more autonomous social dialogue in the joint declaration to the Laeken European Council in December 2001.

UNICE/ UEAPME, CEEP and ETUC have decided to group their actions around three main priorities - employment, mobility and enlargement.

Where it concerned enlargement, the organisations agreed to carry out a study on restructuring in candidate countries starting from 2003.

Among others, the organisations agreed to do their utmost to identify issues that will arise in the EU after enlargement such as an increase in diversity, migrations, and transborder work.

Speaking during the conference, European Commission president Romano Prodi said trade unions and employers were needed on board for the European integration project, not as bystanders but as protagonists of change.

While expressing full support for the initiatives taken, Mr Prodi said the economy cannot be kick-started by using traditional public investment tactics.

The structure of consumption has to be rethought, as well as the relationship between public and private partners, and the quality of development, he said.