Trade Unionists Against Nice Leaflet

national | miscellaneous | news report Tuesday October 15, 2002 13:33 by joe hill - wobblies

poeple may find this of some use, if any needed for workplaces, factories phone contat number

TUAN leaflet

Trade Unionists Against Nice.
(For a More Inclusive and Democratic EU but Against Nice)
Reasons why workers should reject the Nice Treaty..
. Nice will lead to widespread privatisation of public services such as education, hospitals, health, water and refuse. The Treaty, notably in article 133, does just that. The General Agreement on Trades in Services (GATS) is a set of international regulations that require national governments to open up public services to the market. Its aim is to remove all internal government controls over service delivery that are barriers to trade. In effect, it is the framework for a global programme of privatisation. GATS identifies 160 sectors to be subject to its rules, ranging from hi-tech telecommunications to healthcare, education services and refuse collections. It would make government actions to keep public control over these services illegal.
. Articles 2.13 and 2.14 remove the veto that we have at present on the rules governing Structural Funds - just at the time when Ireland becomes a net contributor to the EU Budget. We also lose the veto on economic and social cohesion actions outside the structural funds and in over thirty other areas.
. Articles 1.11 and 2.1 of the Treaty abolishes the veto each member state has at present on a sub-group of eight or more states using the structures of the EU for their own purposes. This opens the way for the larger member states to harmonise corporation taxes among themselves, as Germany France and Britain have recently indicated their intent to do. This would result in intense political pressure on Ireland to also raise corporation tax without any compensation and would ultimately lead to a flight of capital and jobs from this country. As there is no standard minimum wage, multinationals will relocate jobs and industries to lower wage economies in the EU.

. Despite claims to the contrary, there is no guarantee in the Treaty that union recognition will be compulsory on employers. In fact, provisions in the Charter of Fundamental Rights attached to the Treaty may be limited at any time in the interests of the objectives of the EU. In fact, workers can still be sacked for joining a trade union or for engaging in trade union activity.
. There is no guarantee on occupational pensions, statutory redundancy payments, minimum wage or old -age pensions.

The EU has been credited with the recent prosperity as the government and its allies attempt to turn the referendum on Nice into a referendum on EU membership. It should not be forgotten that one-sixth of the Irish workforce was forced to emigrate in the decade ending in the late eighties. A further one-sixth languished in unemployment at home, almost twenty years after we joined the EEC. Most reputable commentators do not point to the EU as the motor for our now fading prosperity but to our low rate of corporation tax.
So, what about Congress? They are undemocratically urging a 'Yes' vote, without any mandate nor consultation with members of constituent unions on an issue whose potential importance far exceeds that of any Social Partnership' agreement.
The ICTU has failed to call the special delegate conference as decided at BDC This was to have been convened in the event of there being a threat [) Irish neutrality in the Nice Treaty. Instead we find that the General Secretary sides with the elites of the EU and appears on RTE to assure us hat, based on his experience, there is no threat and is continuing to urge a ‘Yes’ vote.
Furthermore, the ICTU in its submission to the National Forum on Europe, called for 'a more deeply integrated and constitutionalised Europe, and presented this position as being in the interests of workers.
If you would like to help Trade Unionists against Nice, please contact Frank at 087-2308330. If you can organise a meeting we will provide speakers or if you can organise a few friends to leaflet a workplace, we viii provide leaflets and assistance. We also need funding - perhaps you could organise a gig or have a collection in your workplace - remember () keep the names of contributors as we must register with a government commission and account for our income!! What do you bet they won't ask IBEC?
Trade Unionists against Nice will hold a press launch early next week when a more comprehensive statement of our position will be available. We are already supported by a sizeable number of Officials, Trades Council Officers and National Executive Officers and activists. Why don't you join us?
FOR AN INCLUSIVE AND DEMOCRATIC EU REJECT THE NICE TREATY