More spin and subterfuge from the political elite... or just a bit of "tidying up"?
The document circulated by TUC The document I've asked them to circulate
You
will remember that the European Union put forward a proposed Constitution which
would have resulted in the further development of a European super-State firmly
based on the principles of neo-liberal politics and economics – the
deregulation, marketisation and privatisation of public services, and
“flexible” workforce arrangements in public and private sectors of the economy
driving a “race to the bottom” for workers in terms of pay and conditions.
Now it looks like it could be back… as many of us knew it would be. The prize of privatised services is too great for the world of private business for them to be put off by something as insignificant as a democratic process… and many politicians are either unable to resist them – or only too willing to do their bidding.
This Constitution was roundly rejected by the only two countries that put the decision to their people in the form of referenda – France and Holland. This should have killed it off, as it had to be supported by all EU member states if it was to be applied - or so they'd said!
The TUC subsequently very decisively rejected the principles of the Constitution at Congress 2006.
Subsequently
many leaders of the European Union declared themselves committed to
re-presenting the proposals in a “new form.”
UNISON
at its recent (June 2007) Conference declared itself opposed to any
resurrection of the Constitution in any new form. The GMB Union has agreed that
any new proposals must be presented to the British people in a referendum –
knowing that the outcome would be rejection. TGWU are declared against. Many other unions are taking the
same position – in line with TUC Congress 2006 policy.
Some in the leadership of the Labour Party and the leadership of the EU want to re-present the defeated ideas in the “new form” of a “European Union Reform Treaty” - which they say is"just a bit of tidying up" - something "entirely different" to the defeated Constitution,
But
many leaders of the EU - including Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel
Moratinos, European Union Commissioner Louis Michel, UK Europe Minister Jim
Murphy, President of the European Parliament Hans-Gert Pottering amongst others
– are not so good at spin and have made it clear in letters and press articles that the Treaty is simply
the Constitution “warmed up”… but that this time there will be no referenda!
The
recent meeting (July 2007) of Education International – our
international education unions body – rejected all moves to privatise education
and to pursue the neoliberal agenda of attacking public services and putting
the private sector in control – an agenda that is occurring world wide.
Now
at September’s TUC, there will be motions to reject this cynical attempt to
smuggle these policies and structures back onto the European political agenda
through the “Treaty”.
The TUC leadership is bending over backwards to be “fair”. They have circulated a document putting the case that the Treaty is not a resurrection of the Constitution. I have asked them to circulate a document that puts a different view - in the "own words" of the politicians named above.
These
documents are all attached here. I will be attending the TUC Congress, and of
course the NUT Executive meeting that precedes it to establish the Union
position on the TUC debates, including that on the “Treaty”
I would like to know your views – please email me at billvp@tiscali.co.uk
The document circulated by TUC The document I've asked them to circulate