Open letter to:
Ana Mendes Godinho
Portuguese Minister of Labour, Solidarity
and Social Security
Brussels / 24 May 2023

EXCLUSION OF THE EUROPEAN CONFEDERATION OF INDEPENDENT TRADE UNIONS (CESI)
FROM THE PORTO SOCIAL FORUM

Dear Minister Mendes Godinho,

The European Confederation of Independent Trade Unions (CESI) represents more than five million workers from all over Europe. The EU combined, we account for between 10% and 15% of all organised workers. We have been a recognised European sectoral social partner for several decades.

As such, it was with immense regret, disbelief and astonishment that we were informed on May 11 by the Employment and Social Affairs section of the Portuguese Permanent Representation in Brussels that we would not be invited to the Porto Social Forum on May 26-27 “due to limited capacity for this event” and that it would be impossible “to extend invitations other than the ones already sent”.

We registered our interest in participating in the Social Forum with the Portuguese Permanent Representation in March (very early and long before any invitations had been issued) and since then, we have followed up on this query on a number of occasions.

Was it so difficult to include one additional seat (a seat that would account for over five million workers) at such an early stage in the planning process? Was it truly impossible to allocate one seat at this flagship forum that is to be attended by a large number of delegations representing various political institutions, governments, social partners (except CESI) and civil society groups?

On the Forum’s website, you explain that the objective is to “create synergies for the Future of Europe, increasingly inclusive, fair, and social”. We fully agree: social policies and the European Pillar of Social Rights are all about inclusiveness and leaving no one behind. The EU’s motto is “United in diversity”. Furthermore, the rule of law and liberal democracy are there to protect equal opportunities and nondiscrimination.

Does all of this hold true if up to 15% of Europe’s workforce is excluded from Porto, not present even with a single seat? The answer is quite clearly: no. This is an arbitrary exclusion that runs counter to all principles constituting a liberal democracy.

With this decision, the Porto Social Forum is betraying the spirit of the Pillar of Social Rights and of Social Europe.

Yours sincerely,
Klaus Heeger, CESI Secretary General
Romain Wolff, CESI President