CESI participates in social partner kick-off on EU Quality Jobs Roadmap

Main news

2015-06-30

2025-03-08

CESI responds to consultation on workers’ information & consultation rights: How to give public administration staff full rights

Today, CESI submitted its response to the European Commission’s first-phase social partner consultation on a consolidation of the EU directives on information and consultation of workers. As a European umbrella organisation representing numerous national public administration trade unions, this consultation is of particular importance to CESI.

Main news

2015-06-26

2025-03-08

CESI Europe Academy 2015: Action needed to improve workers’ rights in public administrations!

On June 25-26, more than 150 participants from CESI's various member organisations gathered in Dublin for the 2015 edition of CESI's Europe Academy, this time themed 'Better anticipate changes and restructuring in public administrations in Europe: the role played by the information and consultation of workers'. During the two-day symposium, expert speakers of various backgrounds discussed why and how restructuring processes in public administrations need to take better account of the employees' perspectives. The conference took place timely against the backdrop of current work both in the European Commission and CESI at EU social partner level to create an EU-wide right to information & consultation of central administration workers, especially in restructuring processes.

Main news

2015-06-23

2025-03-08

International Public Services Day: Time to recall the valuable role public servants play in making improvements in society

Today, June 23, is International Public Services Day. This year, in Europe, the day takes place - once again - in a time of austerity and continued and widespread cuts in public administrations' budgets and public servants. In this context, CESI, as a European trade union federation representing several million public sector workers, believes that it is time to recall the valuable role public sector workers play in making improvements in society.

Main news

2015-06-19

2025-03-08

EU 2020 Strategy is further off-track to deliver inclusive, sustainable, equal and social EU, writes EU Semester Alliance to EU Council

The EU Alliance for a democratic, social and sustainable European Semester -also called ‘Semester Alliance-’ addressed a letter yesterday to Heads of States and top EU officials ahead of the EU Council next 25 & 26 June on the endorsement of the 2015 Country-Specific Recommendations (CSRs). The Semester Alliance highlights that the EU has failed to deliver an inclusive recovery strategy and that immediate action is needed to bring Europe 2020 back on track with all its initial goals.

Main news

2015-06-18

2025-03-08

EMI blog on the European Year for Development (EYD) 2015: CESI contribution on fair taxation for development available

In the context of its membership at the European Movement International (EMI), CESI has contributed to the EMI blog on the European Year for Development (EYD) 2015 with an article on fair taxation for development, a topic very close to its heart.

Main news

2015-06-17

2025-03-08

European Commission Corporate Taxation Action Plan: Long-awaited but disappointing for tax collectors and the citizen-taxpayers

Today, the European Commission published its long-awaited roadmap for fairer corporate taxation in Europe. Unfortunately, CESI's hopes that the Commission would publish an action plan that is worthy of its name was to a large extent disappointed. Less procrastination is required with regards to the introduction of a common corporate consolidated tax base (CCCTB) and concrete proposals for an encompassing country-by-country reporting system are needed to enable tax administrations to effectively collect all due corporate taxes. Otherwise, multinationals will continue to make profits at the expense of the citizen-taxpayers; tax injustice would remain.

Main news

2015-06-16

2025-03-08

Board meeting: CESI continues to grow – Welcome, SPELC and CNV-Connectief!

Today, the CESI Board unanimously endorsed applications for membership by CNV-Connectief, a major Dutch trade union representing teachers, civil servants and healthcare personnel and SPELC, a French teachers' trade union. This extends CESI’s representativeness by almost 150,000 individual members. Welcome, CNV-Connectief and SPELC!

Main news

2015-06-11

2025-03-08

European Parliament joins CESI’s and social stakeholders’ calls for a renewed EU gender equality strategy

On Tuesday this week, the European Parliament adopted a resolution that calls for an ambitious action plan to succeed the EU gender equality strategy 2010-2015. Along with other social stakeholders, CESI welcomes this resolution, which, even if non-binding, further increases the pressure on the European Commission to come forward with a powerful communication on a renewed EU gender equality strategy after the summer.

Main news

2015-06-10

2025-03-08

College orientation debate on employment challenges: Good words welcome, but what counts is action

Yesterday [June 9], the European Commission's college of commissioners held an orientation debate to establish how the EU can best address existing employment challenges in Europe. CESI's welcomes this orientation debate whole-heatedly, believing that a fundamental debate to kick-start major EU action on quality employment has been overdue in crisis-ridden Europe. At the same time, CESI highlights the importance of having this debate followed by concrete and substantial policy proposals that are worked out together with the social partners and boost quality employment as much as the EU competences in the field of employment and social affairs allow.

Main news

2015-06-09

2025-03-08

Lühmann: Don’t give up on maternity leave reform

In the context of the announcement by the European Commission that it will withdraw its maternity leave directive proposal if no progress is made on the file in negotiations between the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers by this summer, the President of CESI's Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Commission (FEMM), Kirsten Lühmann, today called on the EU Member State governments to stop their blockade of the file in the Council of Ministers and finally start negotiating with the European Parliament.

Main news

2015-06-04

2025-03-08

CESI’s Trade Council ‘Central administration and finances’ calls to invest in national tax administrations

Yesterday, the 2015 meeting of CESI’s Trade Council ‘Central administration and finances’ (ACF) took place in Brussels. Addressing questions about the functioning of the EU sectoral social dialogue committee ‘Central government administrations’ and the growing problem of violence in public services, it also adopted a resolution with recommendations on how to move forward the fight against tax fraud and tax evasion in Europe.

Main news

2015-06-04

2025-03-08

Commission conference ‘A social agenda for transport’: Yes, we need adequate EU institutional support for sectoral social dialogue!

Today, the European Commissions hosted a long-awaited high-level conference on 'A social agenda for transport'. During a panel discussion dealing specifically with the role of sectoral social dialogue in the transport sector, sectoral social dialogue committee representatives welcomed the Commission's stated intention for a 'new start' for (sectoral) social dialogue in the EU but stressed that adequate support by the EU institutions is necessary for this. CESI agrees and adds that this is not only true for the field of transport policy but for social dialogue in other sectors, too.

Main news

2015-06-02

2025-03-08

EU agency report on the exploitation of migrant workers shows CESI’s work on fair labour mobility is more important than ever

Today, the EU's Vienna-based Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) published a study report which shows just how widespread the exploitation of migrant workers is in the EU. Analysing the report reveals that CESI is setting right priorities with its work on the promotion of fair labour mobility in the EU.

Main news

2015-06-01

2025-03-08

CESI & EUROMIL on June European Council on security and defence challenges: Do not make the EU’s defence a victim of austerity!

On June 25-26, the European Council will convene to discuss the EU's future security and defence priorities - especially in relation to continuing terrorist threats and uncertain future political, economic and military relations with Russia. On this occasion, CESI's Trade Council 'Defence'* and EUROMIL** call on EU leaders to give impetus to new investments in military equipment and joint human resources - and not to shortsightedly trade the EU's security and defence against further budget cuts and austerity:

Main news

2015-05-29

2025-03-08

Social Platform and CESI on INTA TTIP vote: Thumbs up for public services protection, but ISDS compromise is far from ideal

Social Platform and CESI, the European Confederation of Independent Trade Unions, welcome yesterday’s [28 May] vote in the European Parliament's International Trade (INTA) committee which recommends excluding public services from the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). However, they note with concern the compromise found for the controversial Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) mechanism.

Main news

2015-05-27

2025-03-08

CESI welcomes recent tax transparency developments as a first step towards effective fair tax systems

Reacting to today's successful adoption of an EU-Swiss agreement on the automatic exchange of financial account information, the progress made in the European Commission on its forthcoming Action plan for fairer tax systems as well as the recent news that Amazon will as of now pay taxes on profits made in Germany no longer in Luxembourg but in Germany, CESI notes that these developments are to be welcome but require further follow-up action if the overall objective to establish smoothly running fair taxation systems in Europe is to be realised.

Main news

2015-05-25

2025-03-08

CESI’s Trade Council ‘Post & Telecoms’ critical of sector liberalisation and working conditions for older workers

On May 22, CESI's Trade Council* 'Post & Telecoms' (P&T) convened in Königswinter (Germany). Critical position papers were adopted on '20 years after the privatisation of the postal market' and 'Adjusting the P&T sector labour market to demographic ageing'.

Main news

2015-05-22

2025-03-08

CESI deeply concerned by new German wage unity law

During its meeting in Königswinter (Germany), CESI's Post & Telecommunications Trade Council adopted a reaction on behalf of CESI regarding today's adoption by the German Bundestag of a new wage unity law (Tarifeinheitsgesetz).

Main news

2015-05-21

2025-03-08

‘Better’ regulation package: Autonomy for the social dialogue at risk

Earlier this week, the European Commission published its 'Better regulation package'. Reviewing the press and media coverage reveals the widespread concerns about the likely shift from political decision-making to 'expert' influence in European policy making as a result of this package. This criticism stretches from progressive MEPs to basically all social and environmental stakeholders. The only ones really happy are industry and business. While CESI agrees with many of the concerns that were raised in the debate on package, it deplores the lack of attention given to the autonomy for social dialogue that the package puts at risk.

Main news

2015-05-20

2025-03-08

European Semester Alliance: CSRs 2015 – The EU is further off-track to deliver an inclusive, sustainable, social and equal Europe

Main news

2015-05-19

2025-03-08

CESI explains its work on youth employment challenges to Romanian ‘Pro Juvenes’ project delegation

Yesterday, CESI hosted a visit of a delegation of the Romanian ESF-funded project 'Pro Juvenes – Transnational Partnership for an Inclusive Labour Market for Youth'. During the meeting, which aimed to explore best practices in the field of youth employment initiatives, CESI General Secretariat staff explained its work on the challenges that young people face in Europe today.

Main news

2015-05-13

2025-03-08

Visit to the Belgian parliament: EU Trade Commissioner issues further signals to protect public services in TTIP

Yesterday, in a speech to the Belgian national parliament, EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström confirmed past statements of hers that signal a comprehensive protection of public services under TTIP. CESI welcomes such commitments, believing that the quality of public services in Europe must not experience a race to the bottom due to an unnecessary exposure to liberalisation and market forces.

Main news

2015-05-13

2025-03-08

European Semester’s 2015 Country-specific recommendations released: Scrutiny forthcoming

Today, the European Commission issued the European Semester's 2015 country specific recommendations (CSRs). CESI, as part of its work in the European Semester Alliance, will now carefully check whether the Commission's advocacy of a "stronger" and more "streamlined" European Semester carries weight and can be welcomed.

Main news

2015-05-11

2025-03-08

CESI hosts visit to the EU for its member DBwV (German Armed Forces Association)

Last week, CESI together with the Karl-Theodor-Molinari Foundation hosted a two-day visit to the EU for the federal and regional executive boards of one of its members, the DBwV (German Armed Forces Association)*. With discussion rounds with experts at the CESI premises and meetings at the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers, the visit aimed to enhance the strategic capacity of the DBwV to represent its interests -in cooperation with CESI- to the EU.

Main news

2015-05-07

2025-03-08

IG Public services conference: CESI hopes for continued Commission support to protect public services in TiSA

During yesterday's inaugural conference of the European Parliament's Intergroup 'Common goods and public services', the European Commission tried to reassure that the protection of public services in Europe will be dealt with with utmost caution during TiSA negotiations. CESI welcomes this and hopes that previously made statements in this direction by the European Commission will not be reversed or watered down.

Main news

2015-05-05

2025-03-08

CESI@noon: Radicalisation must be prevented through improved social inclusion at all levels, experts say

Today, CESI hosted another edition of its lunchtime event series 'CESI@noon'. This time experts discussed with the audience about how public services in Europe may be enabled to better prevent and counter radicalisation among the citizenry - a topic that CESI's Trade Council 'Security' has worked on in depth in the recent past.* With more than 120 participants registered for the event, the relevance that not only CESI but also policy makers, the organised civil society and citizens attach to addressing the recent spread of radicalisation in European societies was more than obvious.

Main news

2015-05-04

2025-03-08

Eurofound report: Employee participation and social dialogue benefits workers and companies, if properly applied

Eurofound recently published a report on the 3rd European Company Survey. It shows that employee participation and social dialogue is not yet omnipresent even though it makes a positive difference for both employees and employers wherever it is properly applied. As a representative of numerous public sector trade unions, CESI looks forward to future Eurofound reports that will specifically focus on social dialogue and employee participation in the public services.

Main news

2015-05-01

2025-03-08

May 1 is International Workers’ Day!

On the occasion of the International Workers' Day on May 1, CESI recalls the widespread challenges that still need to be overcome if workers are to be adequately protected in the EU.

Main news

2015-04-28

2025-03-08

Annual CESI Defence Trade Council meeting: Need for more rights of military staff highlighted ahead of EU Defence Summit

At this year’s meeting of CESI's Defence Trade Council, its expert committee on military topics, the importance of common rights for common missions was underscored - especially in the context of the upcoming EU Defence Summit.

Main news

2015-04-28

2025-03-08

World Day for Safety and Health at Work: CESI works hard for employee health and safety

April 28 is World Day for Safety and Health at Work - Time for CESI to raise (again) the importance of occupational health and safety.

Main news

2015-04-24

2025-03-08

Commission-published report: Mixed picture about the spread of social investments in European countries

Today, the European Commission published a report it had commissioned on 'Social investment in Europe 2015: A study of national policies'. It shows that social investment is not yet a clearly defined and adequately pursued policy concept across all European countries.

Main news

2015-04-23

2025-03-08

CESI and its Spanish member trade union CSI-F meet Andriukaitis cabinet

Today, representatives of CESI and its Spanish member CSI-F met with the Andriukaitis cabinet in order to discuss challenges in the financing of the Spanish civil servants’ health mutuality.

Main news

2015-04-22

2025-03-08

Informal EPSCO Council: CESI reiterates need for a more inclusive social dialogue at the EU-level

During the informal EPSCO Council meeting in Riga this week, Commissioner Dombrovskis reiterated his commitment to a well-functioning social dialogue at the EU-level. CESI believes that a more inclusive approach to engagement with social partners is necessary to achieve this.

Main news

2015-04-21

2025-03-08

Ongoing refugee crisis in the Mediterranean: Change in direction of policies needed to alleviate humanitarian tragedies

CESI is saddened by the escalating refugee crisis in the Mediterranean and calls on European leaders to initiative a change in the direction of Europe's migration policy when they meet for a special EU migration summit in Brussels later this week.

Main news

2015-04-20

2025-03-08

CESI Youth takes part in youth employment summit in Quito

Earlier this month, CESI Youth representative Matthäus Fandrejewski travelled to Quito, Ecuador, in order to take part in the CELAC*-EU Youth Days. The conference ended with the adoption of a declaration on youth empowerment that will be presented at the next EU-CELAC Summit of Heads of State and Government, to take place in Brussels in June this year.

Main news

2015-04-17

2025-03-08

Hearing in EP TAXE Committee: CESI expert speaks on the role of tax administrations in fighting tax avoidance

During yesterday’s stakeholder hearing in the European Parliament’s TAXE Committee on tax rulings and the role of tax administrations in fighting tax avoidance, CESI was represented by François Goris, President of its member organisation UNSP-NUOD. CESI represents several national tax administration trade unions in Brussels.

Main news

2015-04-16

2025-03-08

TTIP: CESI welcomes the EP Employment Committee opinion and calls on the International Trade Committee to take its suggestions on board

Earlier this month, the European Parliament's Employment (EMPL) Committee adopted its opinion in relation to the TTIP own-initiative report that is being drawn up in the International Trade (INTA) Committee. CESI broadly welcomes the EMPL Committee opinion and calls on the INTA Committee to take up its input during its upcoming committee vote.

Main news

2015-04-15

2025-03-08

Commission consultation of social partners: CESI stresses the need to include public administrations in the EU legislative framework on information and consultation of workers

Last week, the European Commission launched a consultation of the social partners to obtain their views about possible action regarding a strengthening of the existing EU legislation on the information and consultation of workers at national level.* As a recognised social partner, CESI will make use of this consultation in order to stress that the scope of the legislation should be extended to cover public administrations’ staff, too.

Main news

2015-04-14

2025-03-08

Event announcement: CESI@noon on the role of public services in fighting radicalisation and terrorism on May 5

The next CESI@noon event will take place on May 5 and address the topic 'Radicalisation and terrorism: (new) challenges for public services?'.

Main news

2015-04-13

2025-03-08

New Commission statistics: Mixed picture about employment rate developments in public administrations across the EU

Published today, the European Commission’s spring 2015 edition of the ‘EU Employment and Social Situation Quarterly Review’ shows that even though employment figures have recently increased on aggregate in the EU-28, many EU Member States have continued to experience net job losses in their public administrations.

Main news

2015-04-02

2025-03-08

March 2015 EU Youth Conference: CESI Youth calls on political leaders to actively seek a deeper dialogue with young workers

In the context of the March 2015 edition of the EU Youth Conference, CESI Youth representative and conference delegate Matthäus Fandrejewski urged political leaders to be more proactive in seeking input for policies from the organised civil society representing young workers. Organised biannually by the Council Presidency, the European Commission and the European Youth Forum (EYF), the EU Youth Conference is an institutionalised forum for dialogue bringing together representatives from the European Commission, EU Member State ministries, national Youth Councils and a number of international non-governmental youth organisations (INGYOs).

Main news

2015-03-31

2025-03-08

CESI’s member organisation BEM-BİR-SEN represents Turkish workers at Trade Councils

CESI's Turkish member organisation BEM-BİR-SEN, represented by its Secretary General Levent Uslu, attended for the first time a meeting of the Trade Councils Justice and Security in Luxembourg (26+27 March 2015).

Main news

2015-03-26

2025-03-08

CESI Security Trade Council observes a minute’s silence for shootings and plane crash, thanks security and rescue forces on the spot

Marked by the recent shootings in Paris and Denmark and the plane crash in the French Alps, this year's CESI Security Trade Council, gathering representatives of security forces such as policemen or customs officers, points out the vulnerability of these publicly exposed professional groups and thanks them for their work and engagement during crisis situations.

Main news

2015-03-25

2025-03-08

CESI member organisation ATCEUC mourns plane crash victims

In yesterday´s plane crash of a Germanwings flight in the French Alps, 150 passengers and staff members have tragically lost their lives. In a press release, CESI´s member organisation, the ATCEUC, has expressed its deepest condolences.

Main news

2015-03-20

2025-03-08

European Council: The public sector and social investments must drive the EFSI and the European Semester!

On the occasion of today’s discussions in the European Council, CESI regrets the lack of ambition and boldness expressed by the European leaders to acknowledge the role of social investments and public expenditure and the importance of the public administrations in the European Semester and the forthcoming European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI).

Main news

2015-03-17

2025-03-08

CESI gears up for upcoming Luxembourgish Council Presidency

In the run-up to the Luxembourgish Council Presidency in the second half of 2015, CESI’s President Romain Wolff and General-Secretary Klaus Heeger yesterday met for an exchange of views with the Luxembourgish Prime Minister Xavier Bettel in order to speak about several topics related to worker rights and social dialogue in the EU – matters close to CESI’s heart.

Main news

2015-03-16

2025-03-08

Europe’s economic crisis: EUROFOUND reviews impacts of public sector restructuring

On March 10, the EU agency EUROFOUND (European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions) published a review entitled ‘Restructuring in the public sector’. It shows the extent to which public sector workers in Europe were hit by the recent economic crisis.

Main news

2015-03-10

2025-03-08

Joint FEMM-SOC meeting assesses the work of the new Commission

The joint meeting of the CESI Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM) and Employment and Social Affairs (SOC) Committees took place today in Brussels at CESI’s premises. The participants assessed the work new European Commission and the European Parliament in gender equality and social dialogue matters and deplored the lack of ambition.

Main news

2015-03-08

2025-03-08

International Women’s Day – “Closing the Gender Pay Gap, stop violence against women”

"Make it happen", is the United Nations' motto for this year's International Women's Day. This day has been celebrated for over 100 years now and since 1977 the United Nations have been calling on people to mark the day with events across the globe on 8 March. This year is no different - worldwide, many thousands of people are standing up for equal rights and opportunities for women in various initiatives and rallies.

Main news

2015-03-06

2025-03-08

CESI determined and ready to contribute actively to a new and more effective social dialogue

Following the High-level Summit on Social Dialogue which took place on 5 March 2015 in Brussels, CESI reiterated its full commitment to work towards a stronger and more sustainable social dialogue at all levels.