29 Amendments of Alejandro CERCAS related to 2013/2277(INI)
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion
Citation 1 a (new)
Citation 1 a (new)
1a. having regard to the public hearing held by the Employment and Social Affairs Committee of the European Parliament on January 9th 2014, on "the employment and social aspects of the role and operations of the Troika with regard to euro area programme countries",
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion
Citation 1 b (new)
Citation 1 b (new)
1b. having regard to the 4 draft policy notes on "Evaluation of the Social and Employment Aspects and Challenges" in Greece, Portugal, Ireland and Cyprus prepared for the DG Internal policies of the Union Directorate A "Economic and Scientific Policies Economic Governance Support Unit" in January 2014,
Amendment 48 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Amendment 50 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Regrets that the programmes have only focused on labour market reforms and austerity measures, aiming to regain competitiveness through minimum wage cuts, decentralisation of collective bargaining, social benefit cuts, lighter employment regulations and limited action in surplus countries, not taking into account the importance of innovation and investment and without properly foreseen the dire effects that these measures will have on the employment rate;
Amendment 52 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 c (new)
Paragraph 3 c (new)
3c. Notes that the absence of European Institutions as well as of European financial mechanisms has forced to improvise them, leading to financial and institutional agreements outside the community method as well as to problems of coherence and conflict of interests, but condemns the fact that the Commission has acted as a mere lender and has forgotten its main role as Guardian of the Treaties. In the same way, the European Central Bank has clearly taken decisions falling outside of its mandate;
Amendment 72 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Notes that the expectations of a return to growth and job creation through internal devaluation in order to regain competitiveness haven't been fulfilled, highlights that this unfulfillment is caused by the underestimation of the structural character of the crisis as well as of the importance of the maintenance of domestic demand, investment and the support with credit to the real economy; stresses that the procyclical character of the austerity measures and the fact that they haven't been accompanied by a parallel concern on growth and job creation has led to a notorious contraction of growth and employment;
Amendment 73 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Notes that the labour market reforms have aroused a strong negative public response caused by the lack of social dialogue as well as of technical and political legitimacy in the different parts of the reform, and the total absence of a coherent European holistic vision, which would have incorporated medium and long-term concerns to the programmes;
Amendment 77 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 c (new)
Paragraph 4 c (new)
4c. Notes that the massive destruction of SMEs is one of the main causes of job losses and the biggest threat to future recovery, because the possible improvement of exportations will not compensate the loss of assets as well as of future employment. Notes that the adjustment policies did not take into account strategic sectors which should have been protected in order to preserve future growth and social cohesion. This has led to a significant job losses in strategic sectors such as, industry or R+D+I, with dramatic consequences to basic public sectors such as health, education and social services;
Amendment 95 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Notes the severe rise in the long-term unemployment rate of women and senior workers and the additional difficulties these workers will face to get back to the labour market when the economy will eventually recover. Warns that these workers are not receiving the attention they deserve.
Amendment 103 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Is deeply concerned about the fact that, together with the job loss, there is an outstanding lack of job quality through precarisation and the deterioration of basic labour standards, notes that there is an increase of part time and temporary contracts, payless internships and apprenticeships, bogus self-employment as well as the activities of the black economy, notes furthermore that there is also a worrying degradation of working conditions with measures such as the increase of the working time or the reduction of health and safety conditions in the work place;
Amendment 114 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Regrets that the important role of wages in creating or stabilising domestic demand has been neglected; is deeply concerned about the impact of the programmes on the minimum wages in the 4 countries, where Ireland was force to a decrease of nearly 12%, even though it was later changed, and where a radical cut of the minimum wage of 22% was decreed in Greece.
Amendment 115 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 b (new)
Paragraph 8 b (new)
8b. Notes that the economic adjustment programmes have imposed on the 4 countries pay cuts or freezes in the public sector and the non-renewal of the public employment offer which have been justified by the need for modernisation and efficiency improvement of public administrations but have in fact resulted in unacceptably high levels of unemployment; reminds that strong public administrations set a good framework for growth, competitiveness and social protection;
Amendment 126 #
Draft opinion
Title 2
Title 2
- Poverty and social exclusion
Amendment 133 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Notes that the measures are causing serious problems to low income households, putting them under the poverty threshold, increasing inequality levels and undermining social cohesion, especially with the recommendations to place minimum pensions and salaries under the poverty levels, reminds that these measures have been condemned by the Council of Europe as a violation of the European Social Charter, and have also been subject to strong criticism by the ILO for the violation of Convention 102. Furthermore, reminds that the ILO pointed out its serious concerns about the cumulative effects of austerity measures on workers income levels, living standards and wage protection;
Amendment 135 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 b (new)
Paragraph 9 b (new)
9b. Highlights that new forms of poverty touching the middle and working class are arising in the 4 countries where the problems to pay mortgages and the high energy prices are creating energy poverty and increasing evictions and foreclosures;
Amendment 136 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 c (new)
Paragraph 9 c (new)
9c. Is deeply concerned by evidence that levels of homelessness and housing exclusion are increasing in the programme countries; recalls that this represents a violation of fundamental rights and has enormous negative consequences for society and for the individuals affected, stresses that organisations working with homeless people estimate an increase in the 4 programme countries, in particular in Greece where the homeless population has risen by 25% between 2009 and 2011 to reach 20,000, stresses furthermore that, in the 4 countries, there is a big increase of people going to eat at soup kitchens, as well as of children eating at school because their families can´t guarantee them breakfast or lunch;
Amendment 137 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 d (new)
Paragraph 9 d (new)
9d. Notes that international and social organizations have warned about a gender gap impact of the new pay-scale, grading and dismissals system in the public sector, notes that the ILO has expressed concern over the disproportionate impact of new flexible forms of employment on women's pay, furthermore notes that the ILO asked the governments to monitor the impact of austerity on remuneration of men and women in the private sector, stresses that, according to the Council of Europe, Ireland was not on conformity with the revised Charter for the too low level of maternity benefits;
Amendment 143 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Deplores the fact that the level of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion has increased in the four countries; points out that during the last three years alone, figures show that the proportion of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion has risen to 26% in PortugalGreece and to 15% in Ireland; notes, moreover, that these statistics hide a much harsher reality, which is that when GDP per capita falls, the poverty threshold also falls, meaning that we now consider to be out of poverty people who until recently were considered in poverty;
Amendment 153 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Is deeply concerned about the cuts on health and pharmaceutical benefits of the public systems, which in some countries have radically changed the universal nature of the system to the benefit of other more insurable or commercial methods, stresses furthermore that many studies and research show that in discriminatory co-payments, sometimes even on basic services such as health urgencies or access to medicine for people with chronic diseases, is preventing de facto many citizens from receiving basic social and health care needs; notes that the measures have also deeply affected those working in the caring professions. Therefore, there has been a deprivation of basic human rights through economic barriers.
Amendment 157 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Highlights that the increasing social poverty in the 4 countries is producing also an increase in solidarity among the most vulnerable groups thanks to private efforts, family networks and aid organisations; stresses that this type of intervention should not become the structural solution to the problem, even if it's alleviating the situation of the most deprived and showing the qualities of the European citizenship;
Amendment 166 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Regrets that the quality of the education systems is not following this positive path because the 4 programme countries are under the EU average as regards the quality of their systems; recalls the urgent need to recover quality vocational training systems with a high level of social legitimacy, since this is one of the best ways to improve young peoples' employability.
Amendment 176 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Denounces that the Troika has completely ignored article 153 (5) of TFUE which rules out any EU intervention on issues such as pay, the right of association, the right to strike and the right to impose lock-outs and article 152 of the TFUE which states "the Union recognises and promotes the role of Social Partners at its level, taking into account the diversity of national systems. It shall facilitate dialogue between social partners, respecting their autonomy", stresses that, on the contrary, the Troika has pushed for essential changes in the national wage-setting systems aiming at a radical decentralisation of collective bargaining and a sharp restriction of the criteria for the extension of collective agreements.
Amendment 183 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 18 b (new)
Paragraph 18 b (new)
18b. Is deeply concerned about the weakening of social dialogue which has implied a massive loss of workers covered by collective agreements, in some countries this loss represents more than 70% on the available figures before the Troika recommendations.
Amendment 186 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 18 c (new)
Paragraph 18 c (new)
18c. Summarizes that the EU 2020 Strategy goals on employment and fight against poverty and social exclusion are further than ever from being achieved not only due to the economic situation, but also because of the harsh cuts imposed by the Troika programmes; highlights that the IMF has recently considered that the austerity policies might have gone too far (since they have obviously depressed economic growth and sharpened the increase of unemployment) and that the Chair of the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural rights argues that austerity is a disincentive to economic growth and as such hampers the realisation of economic and social rights;
Amendment 228 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24a. Recommends to the Commission and to the Member States to consider public health and education spending not as a spending exposed to cuts, but as a public investment in the future of the country which should be respected and increased so as to improve the economic and social recovery;
Amendment 232 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 24 b (new)
Paragraph 24 b (new)
24b. Recommends that once the hardest moment of the financial crisis has passed, the EU Institutions, together with the Member States put in place the job recovery plan that should have been implemented years ago, since this is the only way to consolidate the macroeconomic adjustment and to equilibrate the unbalances of the public sector such as the debt and the deficit. For this to happen, an Employment Strategy must be put in place which takes into account the need to quickly repair the credit system, notably for SMEs, a real employment policy with active labour market policies, quality and European public employment services, an upward wage policy, a European youth employment guarantee and a programme for jobless households and finally a more careful fiscal management;
Amendment 236 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 24 c (new)
Paragraph 24 c (new)
24c. Recommends that future labour reforms not only point to the flexibilisation of the Labour Market, but also to its securisation through the boost of companies competitiveness taking into account other elements such as energy costs, unfair competition, social dumping, a fair and efficient financial system, fiscal policies in favour of growth and employment, and in general, everything which helps real economy and entrepreneurship to develop.
Amendment 237 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 24 d (new)
Paragraph 24 d (new)
24d. Calls for urgent measures to prevent the increase of homelessness in programme countries and on the European Commission to support this through policy analysis and promotion of good practices.
Amendment 242 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 24 e (new)
Paragraph 24 e (new)
24e. Invites the Commission and Member States to consult with civil society, patient organisations and professional bodies for future measures related to health in adjustment programmes and to make use of the Social Protection Committee, so as to ensure that the reforms increase the efficiency of the systems and the resources without endangering the most vulnerable groups and the most important social protection, including the acquisition and the use of medicines, the most basic needs and the consideration of the health staff;