The trade unions of San Marino, Germany and France together to discuss labor rights, the welfare state and the equitable distribution of wealth
An overview of the union, social and political situation in Germany and France, underlining the elements in common with the Republic of San Marino.
This is what was allowed by the meeting held in recent days, in the CSU room, between the CSdL and the delegations of the DGB of the Odenwald (Germany) and of the CGT of the Grand Est Federation (France), guests of the CGIL Rimini last week on the occasion of the Provincial Congress.
The news was reported by the CSdL, specifying that “the delegations were represented at the highest levels: for the DGB of the Odenwald the President Harald Stairthe Regional Secretary Horst Raupp, the trade union secretariat of VER.DI. (United Services Union) Roberta Basile; for the CGT Grand Est the Secretary General Denis SchnabelAnd John CoratoSecretary of the Public Employment Sector of the Alsace Region.
The CSdL Secretary presented this international meeting Enzo Merlini, who reaffirmed the friendship and exchange relationships that have linked these organizations for many years, together with CGIL Rimini. The problems that workers and pensioners have in San Marino, she underlined, are common to all European countries ”.
The San Marino union explains how “There are aspects in which San Marino is further behind, such as a high level of energy produced from renewable sources, which is recorded both in Germany and in France, while there are other conditions in which the RSM is at the avant-garde: in particular the erga omnes value of collective agreements. Merlini then underlined the importance of this occasion which made it possible to get to know and discuss the national realities of major European countries, useful for understanding the more general situation and dynamics of the whole of Europe. The guest delegations first of all expressed their satisfaction with this return to San Marino after the years of the pandemic, in which periodic reciprocal visits had been interrupted.
The situation in France was described by Denis Schnabel, Secretary General of the CGT Grand Est, who expressed very strong criticisms of the Macron Presidency, and in general of the last French governments. The current President, he pointed out, in his ultra-liberal policies is going beyond Sarkozy; the profit goes to private companies, which do not adequately finance the welfare state: the major taxpayers are once again workers and pensioners. The parallel with the situation in San Marino, characterized by the enormous public debt, is inevitable.
In France, after the pandemic, social inequalities have grown and the level of poverty has increased. All this while in 2022 80 billion profits were divided among the shareholders of the largest French multinationals. This system puts people in competition from their birth; competition for the workplace, for school, health care, aged care facilities, and so on. In 1980, 65% of GDP was allocated to the welfare state as a whole, from education to health care, while today only 30% of France’s Gross Domestic Product is dedicated to welfare spending. The CGT opposes this social model, and fights for equity and a fairer distribution of wealth.
Now the French government is in the process of carrying out a pension reform which foresees the increase of the retirement age to 64 years with 43 years of payments; a reform that has only financial reasons. All eight French unions are against this intervention, and today, January 19, a day of national mobilization is being implemented.
After four years at the helm of France, according to the CGT representative, President Macron has shattered the social structure of the country. In this social situation there is a strong concern that far-right political forces will prevail, having reached the second round in the last presidential elections. The scenario that could materialize for the CGT is very worrying, with an alliance between financial capitalism and forces inspired by values close to fascism.
CSdL Secretary Merlini then introduced the speeches by the president of the DGB Odenwaldkreis and the regional secretary of the DGB Horst Raupp, underlining the law recently passed by the new social democratic-led government to increase the minimum wage in Germany from 10.45 to 12 euros.
The two representatives of the DGB underlined that the increase in the minimum wage is an important measure which will benefit about six million German employees, but it is not enough: it is necessary to be able to apply the national collective agreements in all companies. In this regard it should be remembered that in Germany collective agreements are not obligatory; they are normally adopted by large companies, but only rarely by the rest of the companies. The Government wants to introduce a new law, which provides that only companies that restrictions collective agreements can participate in public procurement.
The new executive brought new ideas and initiatives, even if the situation was marred by the outbreak of war in Ukraine with the Russian invasion. The energy crisis has exploded in Germany and the prices of foodstuffs and basic necessities have risen sharply. The current government is taking some effective measures to support and help the weakest sections of the population, even under pressure from the DGB and affiliated trade unions. But these measures are not enough.
In Germany today there is a shortage of skilled workers in some sectors, which is a consequence of demographic development. Many businesses and services function only thanks to the significant presence of immigrants. A new law is foreseen which will have to facilitate access to work and to German citizenship for the immigrants themselves: this law is opposed by the CDU, led by a conservative leader, and by the right, which feed citizens’ feelings of fear and hostility towards immigrants”.
In general, continues CSdL, “in Friday’s meeting the three trade union organizations emphasized the objectives set by the European Trade Union Confederation, which focuses on the need to invest in the future in every European country, for the ecological reconversion of economy, necessary to stop climate change, to create jobs guaranteed by collective bargaining, for an efficient, inclusive and universal welfare state.
CSdL Secretary Enzo Merlini expressed great satisfaction with the conduct of this meeting, during which the San Marino trade union representatives had the opportunity to experience first-hand a cross-section of the German and French political, economic and social situation”.
Finally, the union concludes, “the common values that unite the CSdL with the DGB, the CGT and the CGIL itself have been confirmed and reaffirmed: the collaboration of these organisations, together with other more similar union forces, has the objective of strengthen the action of the European trade union, to build a Europe of rights, solidarity and the welfare state, as opposed to the Europe of finance which continues to concentrate wealth in a few hands, fueling inequalities, injustices and social inequalities”.