Trade unions and social organisations from seven countries met in Paris on Tuesday to coordinate protests across Europe. Their joint declaration calls for large-scale demonstrations on November 20, 21 and 22, amid recent protests in several European cities and planned strikes in a number of countries.
The meeting brought together tenant unions, housing-rights groups, labour unions and environmental organisations from France, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Greece, Portugal, Italy and Spain. The organisers said they wanted to give existing national strikes and protests a European dimension.
Carme Arcarazo, spokesperson for Spain’s Confederation of Tenant Unions and one of the meeting’s organisers, said housing, lower prices, higher wages and access to basic services such as education and healthcare were central concerns in many countries. The call has also been backed by France’s Yellow Vests coordination, the Union Syndicale Lycéenne, and the unions CGT and Solidaires.
The declaration proposes a shared programme that includes guaranteeing the right to housing; measures to curb the cost of housing, food and energy; higher wages and pensions; universal, high-quality public services; access to work and legal status without racist barriers; and higher taxes on top incomes. The groups also warned of a possible return to austerity policies linked to public-debt requirements and defence-industry spending, and called for an end to rearmament and fossil fuels.
The organisations said the protests should respond collectively to problems that vary between countries but share common goals. They also reported ongoing discussions with student organisations and other social movements to broaden participation across Europe.
Sources: elDiario.es.