On the 2nd of February I was very happy to meet representatives from the Unite trade union, of which I am a member. Among their number was Derek Simpson (pictured), General Secretary of the union, and several high level representatives.

Addressing a meeting of the European Parliamentary Labour Party, Simpson and his colleagues thanked the Labour MEPs for their hard work on a number of key workers’ rights issues, and raised a number of key issues which they asked for support from the MEPs going forward.

One was related to rulings by the European Court of Justice on the Posting of Workers Directive, which lays down minimum standards on issues such as pay rates, holidays, working hours, health and safety and gender equality for workers posted abroad. Unite argues that the court rulings give clear precedence to freedom for business in the EU over fundamental collective and trade union rights, and that the rulings need to be re-examined.
Also discussed was the shocking killings of trade unionists in Colombia and the pressure that the EU could bring to bear through free trade agreements with the South American country, and issues relating to forthcoming legislation on derivatives and how that could affect UK industry.

It was a very interesting meeting and I am exceedingly happy to know that Unite is continuing to fight the good fight. They have my full support.

Be Sociable, Share!

•