Unions protest over risk to jobs posed by euro

A demonstration was organised at the headquarters of the European Central Bank in June 2001 by international trade union organisations representing print workers. The unions claim that thousands of print workers' jobs will be under threat from the introduction of the euro on 1 January 2002.

On 19 June 2001, a demonstration was organised at the headquarters of the European Central Bank (ECB) in Frankfurt by UNI-Europa Finance and UNI-Europa Graphical (the finance and graphical industry sections of the European regional organisation of Union Network International), along with the European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU) and the Standing Committee of European Central Bank Trade Unions. The action followed a meeting between trade union representatives and representatives from the European System of Central Banks (which includes the ECB and all the national central banks of EU Member States), at which the printing of euro notes was discussed. Some 14.5 billion notes will need to be printed in time for the launch in January 2002 of the euro in the 12 countries which have joined the third stage of EU Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), and a further 4.8 billion notes will be produced during 2002. However, this is around one-third of current note production and, moreover, each EU Member State will, under a system of "decentralised pooling", be responsible for printing one or two denomination notes only. In addition, no targets have been set for note production after 2002.

Trade unions are concerned that this decrease in activity will result in job losses – the banknote-printing sector currently employs some 7,000 workers – and that the specialisation between Member States will lead to the deskilling of print workers. They are therefore demanding guarantees that jobs will be protected. They argue that the ECB, as a European institution which took part in the decision to introduce a single currency, has a direct responsibility to maintain employment and working conditions in the national banknote centres which will be printing the euro notes. Specifically, the unions are demanding the following:

• the maintenance of national printing quotas;

• European responsibility for the social consequences of introducing the euro;

• as few job losses as possible and, where this is unavoidable, negotiation with trade unions;

• the establishment of a European social plan, including a compensation package for job losses;

• a European agreement on retraining for workers who lose their jobs; and

• the establishment of a European fund to finance social demands.

However, the ECB has, according to UNI-Europa, indicated that it cannot guarantee current job levels and that it is not willing to contemplate setting up a dismissals fund or a retraining plan.

The unions estimate that "several hundred" protestors took part in the 19 June protest. Christine Asmussen, head of UNI-Europa Finance, stated that: "If jobs are at risk then the central banks have to be in line with the Lisbon summit and agree a series of policies to protect employment.".

Trade unions are also engaged in an ongoing dispute with the ECB over union recognition (EU0011279N). UNI-Europa has claimed that although the ECB has committed itself to a regular dialogue with trade unions, "so far nothing has happened". It states further that employees are currently seeking through the European Court of Justice to establish an obligation on the ECB to recognise "core international labour standards on workers' rights" - including the right of association