European Trade Union Committee for Education

ETUCE calls to member organisations to take action and contact their ministers in charge and possibly use the template letter!

The European Commission is planning to downgrade the future Strategy for Equality between Men and Women to a Staff Working Document rather than an official Communication. The proposal will be submitted to the EU ministers in charge for employment/gender equality attending the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council configuration (EPSCO) Meeting on 7 December 2015.

The Strategy for Equality between Men and Women 2010 to 2015 was the work programme of the European Commission, to promote equal opportunities in areas such as ‘equal economic independence’, ‘equal pay for equal work’, ‘equality in decision-making’ and ‘dignity and integrity and ending gender-based violence’. With the termination of the strategy at the end of 2015, it will be difficult, even impossible, for the European Union to meet its legal commitments to achieve equality between women and men.

The ETUC has addressed an official letter to President Juncker and waiting for a reply and ETUCE and ETUC warmly encourages all member organisations to contact their minister in charge and possibly use the template letter calling for a binding EU Strategy for gender equality and to refuse any proposal which would not meet this aim.

To download the ETUC template to ETUC ministers, please click here.