Activities of Jutta STEINRUCK related to 2016/2095(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
A European Pillar of Social Rights (debate) DE
Amendments (34)
Amendment 85 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 22 a (new)
Citation 22 a (new)
– having regard to the EESC Opinion SOC 520 from September 2015 on ‘principles for effective and reliable welfare provision systems’,
Amendment 105 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the European Union needs a paradigm shift towards a strong European social model which enables sustainable prosperity and high productivity based on solidarity, social justice, a fair distribution of wealth, gender equality, a high-quality public education system, quality employment and sustainable growth - a model that ensuresover the long term, in line with worldwide Sustainable Development Goals - a model that ensures adequate and universal good social protection for all, empowers people in vulnerable groupssituations, fights poverty and social exclusion, enhances participation in civil and political life, and improves the living standards for all citizens, delivering on the objectives and rights set out in the EU Treaties, the Charter of Fundamental Rights and the European Social Charter;
Amendment 154 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B d (new)
Recital B d (new)
Bd. whereas European labour markets are rapidly evolving towards ‘atypical’ or ‘non-standard’ forms of employment, such as temporary work, part-time work, casual work, seasonal work, on-demand work or self-employment intermediated by digital platforms, which shows many features of employment but does not bring the benefits normally associated with employment; whereas demand for labour is becoming and will likely remain more ‘fluid’ and diversified than in the past; whereas in some cases this can be beneficial for productivity as well as work-life balance; whereas, however, many non-standard forms of employment involve prolonged economic insecurity and precariousness, notably in terms of lower and less certain incomes, lack of possibilities to stand up for one’s working conditions, lack of social and health insurance, lack of a professional identity, lack of a career perspective, and difficulties to reconcile on-demand work with family life;
Amendment 177 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Considers that social standards to be articulated by the European Pillar of Social Rights should apply to all countries participating in the Single Market and that legislation, governance mechanisms and financial instruments relevant for their achievement should apply to all EU Member States; finds, however, that the specific constraints of euro area membership call for additional specific social targets, standards and financial instruments to be established at the euro area level; points at the possibility of using the enhanced cooperation mechanism under Article 20 TEU if necessary to build a solid European Pillar of Social Rights;
Amendment 193 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Highlights that the EPSR should equip European citizens with stronger means to keep control over their lives and make markets work for shared prosperity, wellbeing and sustainable development; it should enable effective realisation of existing social rights and it should set out new rights where justified in view of new technological and socio-economic developments;
Amendment 205 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Is convinced that the European Social Model needs to be updated and strengthened to support upward transitions into and within the labour market and to maintain a sense of economic security throughout people’s lives; considers that as the labour market becomes more complex, it is natural that the welfare state also needs to adapt its mechanisms and instruments in order to manage well the various social risks arising;
Amendment 213 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. Underlines that markets are meant to serve people and people are also the most important factor for the good performance of a company and of the entire economy; it is therefore vital to ensure workers’ participation in decision- making on the organisation of work and utilisation of company revenue; points to the good example of social economy enterprises, such as cooperatives, in providing quality employment, supporting social inclusion and promoting economic democracy;
Amendment 218 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 c (new)
Paragraph 2 c (new)
2c. Points out that Europe can go much further in developing a cluster of sectors focused on supporting people’s health, knowledge and ability to participate in the economy; stresses that people-focused services such as education, healthcare, sport or family care services contain an important job creation potential and should not be viewed as a cost to the economy but rather as enabling factors of sustainable prosperity;
Amendment 225 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 1
Subheading 1
Updating existing labour and social standards
Amendment 245 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls for the enactment of a directive on fair working conditions for all forms of employment, and other relevant legislative measures, based on a sufficiently broad EU definition of a worker and ensuring for every worker a core set of enforceable rights, including equal treatment, social protection, protection in case of dismissal, health and safety protection, provisions on working time and rest time, freedom of association and representation, the right to strike, collective bargaining, collective action, access to training, andin-work support, adequate information and consultation rights throughout subcontracting chains, and a prospect of stabilising the working relationship as open-ended employment after a certain period of time; underlines that this directiveese instruments should apply to employees as well as to all workers in non- standard forms of employment, such as fixed-term work, part-time work, on- demand work, self-employment, work intermediated through online platforms, crowd-working, internship or traineeship; requests that the EU acquis be updated accordingly so as to apply to all workers; and to improve the enforceability of rights;
Amendment 254 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls for the enactment of a directive on fair working conditions for all forms of employment, ensuring for every worker a core set of enforceable rights, including equal treatment, social protection, protection in case of dismissal, health and safety protection, provisions on working time and rest time, freedom of association and representation, collective bargaining, collective action, access to training, and adequate information and consultation rights; underlines that this directive should apply to employees as well as to all workers in non-standard forms of employment, such as fixed-term work, part-time work, on-demand work, self-employment, crowd-working, so- called public works programmes, internship or traineeship; requests that the EU acquis be updated accordingly so as to apply to all workers;
Amendment 330 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 – point b
Paragraph 4 – point b
b. for work intermediated by digital platforms and other instances of dependent self-employment, a definition of employment that is less dependent on full cumulation of the relevant criteria, taking into account ILO recommendation No. 198, according to which the fulfilment of several indicators is sufficient to determine employment; alternatively, a new category of ‘dependent self- employed’ could be established to reduce the grey zone between employment and self-employment; such definition should spell out the labour rights applicable to this category of workers and should ensure their participation in social and health insurance schemes;
Amendment 394 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Recalls that the right to healthy and safe working conditions also involves protection against workplace risks as well as limitations on working time and provisions on minimum rest periods and paid annual leave; awaits Commission proposals for legislation and other concrete measures to uphold this right for all workers, reflecting all current knowledge about health and safety risks and taking into account new ways of working associated with digitalisation and other technological developments;
Amendment 421 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Stresses the importance of collective rights; expects the Commission to step up concrete support for strengthening social dialogue in Member States and sectors where it is weak owing to the prolonged crisis or the prevalence of non-standard forms of employment; calls on the Commission in this regard for the introduction of the following measures;
Amendment 425 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. A proposal for a Directive introducing a new and integrated architecture for the involvement of workers in European company forms, setting high standards on information and consultation and introduce binding EU- minimum standards on workers' board level representation; this new framework should become the single reference on information, consultation and board-level representation for all European company forms and all European company law instruments and it should introduce an obligation to put in place a system for workers' representation in the board of directors or supervisory boards;
Amendment 436 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7b. A proposal for the revision of the European Works Councils (EWC) Directive introducing a right of suspension of restructuring plans and plant closures until the proper consultation procedure, as laid out in European law, is completed, and giving workers the possibility to influence the decision-making process in the company by putting in place a system for workers' representation in the board of directors or supervisory boards in companies covered by the EWC Directive;
Amendment 454 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Supports more integrated provision of social protection benefits and social services as a way to make the welfare state more understandable and accessible while not weakening social protection; calls for principles for effective and reliable welfare provision systems - as it has been outlined in the EESC opinion SOC 520 from September 2015 - including the legal right of access to affordable, professional, high-quality and solidarity financed social and health services; points to the importance of informing citizens about social rights and to the potential of e- government solutions, possibly including a European social security card, which could improve individual awareness and also help mobile workers clarify their contributions and entitlements;
Amendment 514 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Insists that all workers should be covered by insurance against involuntary unemployment or part-time employment, coupled with job-search assistance and investment in (re)-training; recalls that decent unemployment benefits reduce the pressure to take 'any job' and are therefore useful for productivity; considers that the EPSR should set out minimum quality standards for national unemployment insurance schemes, which would help to improve their effectiveness as well as maximising the economic stabilisation potential and minimising institutional moral hazard involved in a possible European unemployment (re)- insurance scheme that could be established for the Eurozone and open to other Member States; such minimum standards should apply in particular to the coverage of national schemes, activation requirements and the quality of job-search support provided to unemployed people;
Amendment 558 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Agrees that all persons with disabilities must be ensured individualised enabling services and basicprovided by adequately qualified professionals and income security allowing them a decent standard of living and social inclusion; with adequate support even when they take up paid work; expects the Commission to follow up swiftly on the Parliament's recent resolution on the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities;
Amendment 573 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Considers access to quality and affordable long-term care services, including home-based care, to be a right that should be upheld with the help of suitably qualified professionals employed under decent conditions; believes that low- income households should therefore be targeted by adequate public services and tax deductionsnotes with concern that availability and affordability of long-term care remain a major problem across Europe, trapping informal family carers at home and preventing them from pursuing their careers; deplores frequent abuses of carers employed through work agencies or on an informal basis; believes that adequate public services and tax deductions should be therefore put in place for households, in particularly those living on low incomes, to avoid institutionalisation and the risk of poverty; repeats its call for legislation on carers’ leave accompanied by adequate remuneration and social protection; calls on the Commission to set out a concrete action plan in this area;
Amendment 583 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Considers access to quality and affordable long-term care services, including home-based care, to be a right that should be upheld with the help of suitably qualified professionals employed under decent conditions; believes that low- income households should therefore be targeted by adequate public services and tax deductions; repeats its call for legislation on non-commercial family carers’ leave accompanied by adequate remuneration and social protection;
Amendment 597 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Considers child poverty to be a major issue on which Europe should ‘act big’ given the obvious potential for large positive impact on children's development, parents' labour market prospects and reduction of inherited social disadvantage; calls for the swift implementation of a Child Guarantee in all Member States, so that every child now living inat risk of poverty can have access to free healthcare, free education, free childcare, decent housing and proper nutrition; underlines the importance of pre-natal care and early childhood development; calls for inclusive education systems at all levels, including after- school care; recognises that implementation of the Child Guarantee will require adequate financing at national and European level, possibly involving an increase of the European Social Fund and/or support from a new convergence instrument for the Eurozone; requests that national public investments in the Child Guarantee be considered within a 'silver rule on social investment' under the Stability and Growth Pact;
Amendment 598 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Considers child poverty to be a major issue, especially child poverty, on which Europe should ‘'act big’'; taking into account all the three poverty indicators of the Europe 2020 Strategy (income poverty, severely materially deprived or living in a household with very low work intensity); calls for the swift implementation of a Child Guarantee in all Member States, so that every child now living in poverty can have access to free healthcare, free education, free childcare, decent housing and proper nutrition;
Amendment 642 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Calls for legislation ensuring fair access for all to good-quality and affordable social services of general interest and other essential services, such as e-communications, energy, transport and financial services; highlights the role of social enterprises; recalls the high job creation potential of the provision of social services;
Amendment 643 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Calls for legislation ensuring fair access for all to good-quality and affordable social services of general interest and other essential services, such as e-communications, energy, transport and financial services; highlights the very useful role of social enterprises and not- for-profit organisations in this context given that their primary objective is not maximisation of financial returns but positive social impact;
Amendment 711 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 – point b
Paragraph 19 – point b
b. all workers should have a personal activity account, easily accessible through a website and/or a smartphone application, where they could consult their accumulated social entitlements and other social rights, including to lifelong learning; adequate data protection should be ensured;
Amendment 717 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 – point b a (new)
Paragraph 19 – point b a (new)
ba. digital platforms and other intermediaries should have an obligation to report all work undertaken through them to the competent authorities for the purpose of ensuring adequate contributions and protection through social and health insurance for all workers, even if they work in short gigs;
Amendment 731 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Calls for full implementation of the Youth Guarantee for all people under 30, with emphasis on quality offers and effective outreach to all NEETs, and of the recommendation on the long- term unemployed; highlights these as important structural reforms and social investments that are in need of adequate financing, possibly involving an increase of the European Social Fund, an extension of the Youth Employment Initiative by more than the €1bn foreseen under the MFF 2014-20 mid-term review, and/or support from a new convergence instrument for the Eurozone; requests that national public investments for the Youth Guarantee and integration of long-term unemployed be counted within a 'silver rule on social investment' under the Stability and Growth Pact;
Amendment 774 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22a. Calls for the full implementation of the Council recommendation of 15 February 2016 on the integration of the long-term unemployed into the labour market (2016/C 67/01);
Amendment 813 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Emphasises that labour mobility within the EU is a right whose exercise must be supported but which, also through readily available information on the rights and duties of mobile workers and a smoothly functioning system of social security coordination; notes, however, that mobility should not be forced on workers by poor economic conditions in their home regions, and should not undermine host countries’ social standards; highlights that mobile workers are usually net contributors to host countries' public budgets; calls for adequate investments in public services in areas experiencing population increases;
Amendment 815 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. EReiterates the importance of investing in social services for the integration of migrants and refugees; emphasises that labour mobility within the EU is a right whose exercise must be supported but which should not be forced on workers by poor conditions in their home regions, and should not undermine host countries’ social standards;
Amendment 962 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Calls for a ‘silver rule’ on social investment to be applied when implementing the Stability and Growth Pact, namely to consider certain public social investments having a clear positive impact on economic growth (e.g. childcare or education and trainingthe Child Guarantee, education, the Youth Guarantee and the Skills Guarantee) as being eligible for favourable treatment when assessing government deficits and compliance with the 1/20 debt rule; highlights that fiscal consolidation should not undermine national co-financing of European funding for social investment;
Amendment 1098 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34
Paragraph 34
34. Calls on the Commission, the EEAS and the Member States to translate the EPSR into relevant external action, in particular by promoting the implementation of the UN SDGs, the ILO conventions, relevant G20 conclusions and European social standards through trade agreements and strategic partnerships; calls for provisions ensuring equal treatment in terms of wages and working conditions as a precondition for labour migration schemes in the framework of trade agreements;
Amendment 1116 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
35. Considers that the EPSR should be adopted in 2017 as a binding agreement between the European Parliament and the European Council, involving social partners and civil society at the highest level, and should contain a clear roadmap for implementation, with concrete commitments and target dates;