There were a number of important issues discussed and voted on in the Parliament this month.
Amongst them, proposals to ban unhealthy “meat glue”, the extension of maternity leave to more categories of workers, the links between big business and education and a report that highlighted the realities of EU policies in the neo colonial world.
A highlight of the week was also the visit of the Handaye Charter campaign groups against unsustainable high-speed train developments to the Parliament. They held a protest and several meetings in order to help co-ordinate their campaign and to bring attention to their campaigns.
European Parliament votes to ban the use of “Meat glue”
In this plenary session there was a motion to ban the use of Thrombin or “meat glue” in meat products. This substance is used to glue together small pieces of fish and/or meat and sell them as a single meat product. The use of “meat glue” presents a health risk to the public as binding together separate pieces of meat significantly increases the chances of the meat being infected by bacteria. The glue would also allow the meat industry to pass on inferior pieces of meat to consumers that would otherwise be scrapped.
The only winner from the use of “meat glue” is the meat industry which would stand to massively increase profits by being able to sell meat that would normally be destroyed.
Incredibly, the Commission vigorously opposed this motion. In a desperate attempt to get the report defeated, the Commissioner spoke before the vote claiming without any evidence that it would be economically better for consumers if “meat glue” is permitted. This shows yet again that the Commission’s primary concern is the profits of big business and not the rights of consumers. The was passed but the vote was very tight so expect this issue to be pushed for again by the meat industry and the Commission.
EU Policy Coherence for Development
Joe Higgins voted in favour of the Keller report on EU policy coherence for Development (A7-0140/2010) and welcomed it being passed by the Parliament. The report highlighted many of the realities of EU policies in the neo colonial world. The report draws attention to the fact that “nearly a billion people still lack food on a daily basis, even though the planet provides enough food to meet the needs of its entire population”. The report also points to the effects of the EU policy of supporting the liberalisation of services in the neo colonial world and how this has resulted in increased poverty.
The report also highlighted tax avoidance by EU based financial institutions and the use of tax havens by EU big business. The report also called for Trade unions and workers’ organisations to be consulted when dealing with the granting of preferential trade statuses to states such as Sri Lanka and Colombia that flagrantly violate human and trade union rights.
Education and Big Business
The Parliament this month voted on several reports that called for greater links between big business and education. The Schmitt report (A7-0108/2010) on “University Business Dialogue” was accepted by the Parliament. Joe Higgins voted against as it called for greater influence of big business in education, including private funding of education, “Encourages universities to explore new methods of cooperation between public institutions and the private sector, especially through joint public and private innovation funds”. The report also calls for a direct influence of big business on university curricula.
The Badia i Cutchet report (A7-0141/2010), despite some positive content also called for greater links between big business and education and the report also called “on higher education institutions… accelerate the Bologna Process”.
The Bologna process is about tailoring education to the demands of industry and opening up education for privatisation. Despite assurances in the report that claimed to safeguard humanities and other “unprofitable” course the reality on the ground is very different. There have been movements across Europe against the Bologna process. Fees, cutbacks and the curtailment of certain courses have been the reality across Europe due to this process. This has been met with demonstration across the EU. The Socialist Party and the CWI have been active in these movements and will continue to be so, putting forward the demands of free education for all as part of a well funded public education system.
Extension of Maternity Leave to Self Employed Workers
On Tuesday Joe Higgins voted in favour of a motion that called for the extension of maternity leave rights of 14 weeks for women that are self employed. This would also apply to the partners of the self employed. In the context of the greater use of bogus “self employment” contracts by employers in order to drive down conditions for workers this was an important issue.
In reality a fourteen week maternity leave period is a very minimal measure. However, Joe Higgins supported this report as a step towards achieving greater rights. It is crucial now that the Trade Unions take up this fight and campaign for adequate maternity and paternity leave without loss of pay and not allow employers use the recession to erode these important rights.
Visit of the Charter of Handaye and No TAV campaign
This month’s session saw the presentation of the “Charter of Handaye” to the European Parliament by a group of communities campaigning against inappropriate and unwanted railway developments in their areas. The groups that took part were, ACTIVAL, which campaigns against the construction of a high speed railway through the Pyrenees in southern France and northern Spain and the No TAV campaign from Northern Italy.
In support of the No TAV campaign, Joe Higgins has visited the Val di Susa where the Italian state with EU support wish to construct a high speed railway despite dangers to the local community which would be caused by the release of dangerous chemicals in the construction. The campaign has also suffered from violent state repression.
Joe Higgins also arranged for activists from the “No to Stuttgart 21″ campaign to attend the Parliament to participate in discussions with the Charter of Handaye groups. The “No to Stuttgart 21″ campaign is opposing the construction of a large “prestige’” railway station in the city centre on the site of the existing historic railway station. The campaign has mass support and there are weekly demonstrations against the construction proposals. It is important now that these campaigns link up and the focus of the campaigns is also on building up strong campaigns of people power on the ground.
A report and photos of the day’s events from one of the No TAV activists will be posted on this site shortly.
How the Irish MEPs voted
Click here to see how the MEPs voted
Video’s of Joe’s speeches in this plenary
Joe Higgins spoke twice in this plenary session:
In defence of religious and human rights in Pakistan
Repression of protests in Thailand
CHECK OUT OTHER RELATED ARTICLES:
- Report from plenary session of the European Parliament (June 2010)
- Report from the plenary session of the European Parliament (March 2010)
- Fine Gael’s European People’s Party show their true colours on parental leave report
- Report from the “Women and the Economic Crisis” meeting in the European Parliament
- Pension Solidarity Fund Report (2010)
