Leading representatives of the German trade unions explore the fault lines and the austerity-policy orientation of Europe from different angles.
The English edition of the brochure »Ist Europa noch zu retten?«/»Can Europe still be saved?« has been published as Supplement 4/2014 of the journal Sozialismus in cooperation with transform! europe.
Download pdf on the left.
Leading representatives of the German trade unions are saying two kinds of things through their interventions:
(1) that precisely in Germany a strong opposition against the hegemonic role of the current federal government and its predecessors has to become audible and
(2) that initiatives for an offensive European policy have to be co-developed, supported and pushed forward.
These interventions have first been published in German as a supplement of the journal Sozialismus. But a debate on the future of Europe cannot be limited on a national level but has to be a European one. Therefore we prepared this English edition. It shows that austerity policy does not stand uncontradicted. Opposition is increasing in trade unions and in civil society – even in Germany.
Contents
Dieter Scholz
Save Europe!
Annelie Buntenbach
Who is Right and Who Has Rights in Europe?
Put an End to the Troika’s Violations of Fundamental Rights – Stop the Austerity Course!
Dietmar Schäfers
The EU – On the Road to Katarlike Working Conditions?
Andreas Keller
Cooperation or Competition?
European Education and Research Policy on Trial
Frank Bsirske
A New Path for Europe
Wolfgang Lemb/Hans-Jürgen Urban
Can Democracy in Europe Still be Salvaged?
A Plea for a Radical Change of Course in European Policy and in the European Union
Authors
Annelie Buntenbach is Member of the Executive Managing Board of the German Trade Union Congress (DGB) responsible for Labour Market and Social Policy, European Policy, Migration Policy and Anti-Racism, »Good Work« and »Fair Mobility«. She is also Member of the Chair and the Executive Committee of the European Trade Union Congress.
Frank Bsirske is Chair of Germany’s United Services Union (ver.di) and Chair since November 2002 of the European region of the union Network International (now UNI Global Union), the coalition of services unions.
Andreas Keller is Vice-Chair of Germany’s Union of Education and Science (Gewerkschaft Erziehung und Wissenschaft – GEW). Since 2012 he has been Vice-President of the European Trade Union Committee for Education, which is the European umbrella organisation of the education unions.
Wolfgang Lemb is an Executive Member of the Managing Board of Germany’s Metalworkers Union (IG Metall) where he is responsible for international and European relations.
Dietmar Schäfers is federal Vice-Chair of Germany’s Construction-Agriculture-Environment Union (IG Bauen-Agrar-Umwelt – IG BAU) as well as Chair of the Standing Committee for the Building Sector of the European Federation of Building and Woodworkers (EFBW).
Dieter Scholz is the former Berlin-Brandenburg Regional Chair of the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) and Chair of the association ‘Forum Neue Politik der Arbeit’ (Forum New Politics of Labour). He is currently active as a consultant.
Hans-Jürgen Urban is an Executive Member of the Managing Board of IG Metall, where he is responsible for social policy and work structuring/training policy.