The seminar “The Europe of everyone for everyone: the European Pillar of Social Rights” was organized from 20 to 22 October 2017 in Trento by UNAIE (Unione Nazionale Associazione Immigrati e Emigrati), with the support of EZA and of the European Union. It was attended by 80 representatives of workers’ organizations from Italy, Belgium, Croatia, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Great Britain, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Finland, Switzerland (as guests), Spain and Ireland.
The seminar started with the greetings by Alberto Tafner (Vicepresident of UNAIE and president of Trentini nel Mondo) and Esmeralda Van Den Bosch (EZA). Maurizio Tomasi, the debate moderator, brings the greetings of Ugo Rossi (President of Trentino Province) and of the Mayor of Riva del Garda who, for previous institutional commitments, were not able to attend the seminar. The seminar was divided in 4 sessions, each one focusing on a single perspective of the main topic “The European pillar of social rights”.
During the first session was discussed the introduction at the topic, with different points of view and different perspectives as: the role of the social dialogue during the constitutive process, the politics issues, critical points for the application, needs and ideas that are the basement of the pillar. The speakers were: Prof. Jozef Pacolet (HIVA – research Institute for Work and Society, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven), Dr. Vittorino Rodaro (past director of the common representation of the European region Tyrol-South Tyrol and Trentino office in Bruxelles), Dr. Markus Herrera Torrez (ETUC - European Trade Union Organization) and Dr. Francesco Corti (PhD researcher of Milan University). During this session an interesting debate started about the different point of view, among speakers and between speakers and public. The main topic was the gap between the good principles of the theory of the pillar and its
future application in the everyday life. The asymmetry of the “two speed” Europe (East-West, North-South) with a lot of unsolved issues (dumping, economy, labour market rules and so on) makes very difficult the tangible adoption of the pillar principles. It’s a very important direction, but without a real application in each single European country, remains only a fairy theory. For the public this debate was very interesting because they heard different opinions, and thanks to that they had both an idea of the topic complexity and the occasion for creating an their critical point of view.
The second session, Saturday morning, hosted the speeches of politic and workers trade union representatives. And then two privileged witnesses of the concrete application and needs of the pillar of social rights: COMITES of Barcelona Italian consulate that spoke about the emergency state of Italian-Venezuelan community and Honorary General Consul of Romania for Trentino Alto Adige that spoke about Romanian community. The last presentation was about Brexit and the rights of the European workers and students in UK. The speakers were: On. Laura Garavini (Italian republic Deputy elected for the Europe district), Dr. Lotta Savinko (Manager of Working life affairs of AKAVA – Finland trade union for professional and managerial staff), Dr. Alessandro Zehentner (Comites of Italian Consulate of Barcelona), Dr. Maurizio Passerotti (General honorary consul of Romania for Trentino Alto Adige) and Jonathan Kingham (LexisPSL, Professional support Lawyer – Immigration Law for LexisNexis, advisor on Brexit panel task force).
In this session they explained the real application of the pillar of social rights and the need of its fairy principles that could fill the lack that there are in the concrete life in many situations. The speeches demonstrate the need of this important common foundation. Also in this session some questions were been made to the speakers, focused on Brexit topic that was felt as very actual and crucial.
The third session, Saturday afternoon, was focused on the youth mobility phenomena, a huge emigration across Europe that has been increased in the last few years. Which are the rights, problems and needs that the young employees have? Often not well defended, often with low possibility to access to the social security system, because of the gap between the different Europe nations. The speakers explained the difficulties before, during and after the emigration, the connection with the economic regression but also the opportunity offered by the European Union, both for studies as Erasmus and for working as EURES projects. So emerged the need of a concrete translation of the pillar to support the workers in mobility, a less protected category that is constantly increasing. The speakers were: Prof. Edith Pichler (Potsdam University of Berlin), Dott. Laura Pitteri (Manager of EURES project for Trentino District), Prof. Frederic Spagnoli (Director of International relations office of literature faculty of Franche-Comte University), Dr. Martina Bisello (Eurofound research office, European foundation for the improvement of living and working conditions).
The fourth and last session, Sunday morning, was concluded from historical context of prof. Charles Walton (Warwick University) that gave an interesting historical analysis of socio-economic rights across the century, especially from the French revolution to the modern constitution of European Pillar of Social Rights. The speech was followed with interest and many questions were asked about. After that the Italian past deputy Franco Narducci (UNAIE past president), recalled point by point the speeches of the seminar and the discussion perspectives of the debate, and took the conclusion. In the second part of the morning there were free questions time and the participants had the opportunity to talk and say their own ideas and considerations.
In conclusion social rights are an important issue for every single citizen, everyone is called to support and take part to the debate. Social dialogue with trade unions, workers and experts is necessary to build a pillar with shared principles. The application of the pillar will be possible only with concrete agreements among European countries to move on differences and barriers. Europe has to proceed in the social aquis update with urgency, getting over the differences and the political discords among the 27 countries. The divergences about taxation, economic policies and welfare, accentuated the asymmetry within Euro zone increasing differences within the European single market, especially in welfare systems and labour costs, job security, wages and social services. Smoothing differences and inequality within European border has to be the priority. European job contracts, unique job law system, same welfare rules, are the only way to smooth the asymmetry in Euro zone and take over the lack of trust in Europe. Common policies and specific directives are needed. The pillar supports fair and
fundamental principles, but there is a high risk that they remain pure theory. The pillar must be a legal constraints to write also the social deal again, now waking from the disparities, and it must not remain just a list of fair principles.