Sunday 20th June 2010 LEE (Labour & Employment in Europe) Skype meeting report

Sunday 20th June 2010 LEE (Labour & Employment in Europe) Skype meeting report

Sunday 20th June 2010, 6:00 p.m.

The following were present: Jan Max Lipp, Margareta (Germany), Evelyne Perrin, Sophie Banasiak, Denise Reverdito, Gilles Sabatier (France)

-         Coordination and organisation of the network

Jan Max was network coordinator until this meeting, but has to finish his thesis and is short of time. Sophie therefore agreed to take over from him.

-         Articulation with other networks and broadening the organisation.

Few people within ATTAC are actively engaged on questions concerning work; this therefore poses the question of joining with other networks. Mention was made in particular of the “Travail et globalisation” network, which forms a part of the European Social Forum framework. It was co-founded by Espaces Marx and currently includes the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation and the Italian section of Transform! …

The establishment of contacts with other groups was proposed as an immediate measure:

• within ATTAC, for example, a group devoted to the question of the reduction of working hours in Germany and Austria.
• a study group founded at the instigation of members of the Scientific Committee (Conseil Scientifique)
• the contacts from the Local Social Forum of the PACA (Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur) region of France “Travailler dans l’Europe à 27” (“Working in a Europe of 27 member-States”).
• make the network known via the ATTAC e-mailing lists

-         What working objectives and plans?

• ATTAC Europe newsletter: if this project is successful, it would be useful for the network to contribute to it
• Working Time Directive: we are now in phase 2 of the consultation with the “social partners”. It was decided to prepare a workshop for the Summer University of ATTAC Europe in 2011, and to produce supporting material for analysis during the current year.
• European Day of Action, 29th September 2010: the group could circulate information on this day of action and produce materials/brochures.

-         Next meeting

The next meeting will be on Sunday 5th September at 6:00 p.m. / 18:00 (Central European Time)

The working language will be English in order to open the meeting to non-French speakers. It will take place by telephone via a free telephone conference provider. A simultaneous Skype connection will make it possible to exchange via instant messaging/Skype Chat in order to request translations if necessary, and clarifications should there be any problems of understanding.

Proposed message for distribution in the ATTAC networks.

Dear activists of the European ATTAC networks,

The “Work in Europe” network was formed at the European Summer University in Saarbruecken, by activists from the European sections of Attac, in order to exchange and coordinate on questions concerning work in Europe.

At our last meeting, we decided to work more specifically on the Working Time Directive, and the European Day of Action set for 29th September 2010.

Moreover, we hope to broaden our network and make it more widely known. We invite you to join us if you are interested in this field, and to spread the word in your networks.

Please contact Jan Max Lipp if you want to register on the mailing list of the network: janmax.lipp@wanadoo.fr

Thank you in advance!

European solidarities,

The “Work in Europe” network

PS: you will find enclosed the last meeting report of the network