Eurotrash – the latest from Brussels
WORKERS, MAR 2006 ISSUE
Open up, open up
The European Commission is again urging member states to open up their borders to workers from the 'new' EU members as a way to bolster their economies.The Commission argues that fears of an invasion of cheap Polish plumbers were unfounded, and asserts, "Freedom of movement of workers is one of the basic freedoms under the European community treaty".
The Blair government predicted that the EU enlargement in May 2004 would mean only an extra 13,000 workers a year coming to Britain. The Commission now reports that 290,695 workers from eastern Europe, including 162,870 from Poland alone, arrived in Britain between May 2004 and September 2005. This is good for employers, who get cheap labour, but it is bad for the working class, whose wages are held down. It also makes it much more difficult for the 4.2 million workers who are on incapacity benefit or are unemployed to move from welfare to work.
Polish unemployment stands at 18.1%, so there will be a continual inflow of Polish workers. Furthermore, British agencies are now setting out to fill certain kinds of jobs exclusively with foreign labour, preventing British workers from even competing for these jobs.
Law, justice...and a convicted forger
The Polish right-wing ruling party, Law and Justice, has appointed a convicted forger and embezzler, Marek Plusa, as head of a regional office in Kielce which administers millions of euros a year of EU farm aid.
Firmer and firmer...
An article in the French newspaper Le Figaro has pointed out that EU and US foreign policies are increasingly in harmony. The article noted that over the last year the EU adopted a "firm" policy towards the Middle East, Iran and Syria, which "looks more and more like that of the US ... Under George Bush's second mandate, never has the EU been so in phase with American diplomacy."
...and tougher and tougher
The European Parliament said in early February that the EU should take a "tougher" stance against Cuba.