Reclaiming our commons, ‘free trade’ and trade union strategy under neo-liberalism

Thursday 17 October 2013, 3.00 – 6.30 p.m. European Parliament Brussels room 1G2

Welcome by Gabi Zimmer MEP (GUE/NGL President) and Horst Schmitthenner (FSE)

3.30 – 5.00 p.m.

The struggle to bring our commons under democratic control: Recommunalisation in Europe

– Presentation of a study on recommunalisation in Europe by David Hall, PSIRU
– Presentation of concrete experiences from:
– Gerlinde Schermer, the “Watertable”, Berlin, Germany
– Jean-Claude Oliva, Coordination Eau Ile-de-France
– Frank Boye, Garbage collectors Branch, 3F Kastrup, Copenhagen, Denmark

– Thomas Händel (MEP, GUE/NGL) will introduce the state of work in the European Parliament with the EU Concessions Directive

5.00 – 6.30 p.m.

Who will really benefit from ‘free trade’ across the Atlantic?
– Consequences of an EU/USA trade and investment agreement (Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership – TTIP)

– Introduction by Helmut Scholz (MEP, GUE/NGL) with special focus on the consequences for trade unions and workers (social dumping).
– Analysis by Bruno Ciccaglione, S2B Network.
– A view from Celeste Drake, Trade & Globalization Policy Specialist, AFL-CIO.

Friday 18 October 2013, 9.00 a.m. – 12.30 p.m.

Report on the Alter Summit in Athens on 7-8 June 2013 and follow up

Felipe van Keirsbilck, General Secretary, CNE, Belgium

Report on actual trade union disputes

Tim Lubecki, NGG Legoland, Germany

Trade union struggle under neo-liberalism
– How to organize and mobilise workers to fight back against the on-going onslaught on workers and trade unions

Report from Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers’ Union in the UK by General Secretary Bob Crow on their strategies and perspectives.
Basque experiences by Adolfo Muñoz, General Secretary of ELA.
Croatian experiences by Mario Iveković, President of the New Union (Novi sindikat)