The Role of ERIS after Brexit:

Saying ‘Yes’ to a Social Europe

The ERIS Board met on 29th June 2016 to consider the future strategy of ERIS given the result of the Referendum on 23rd June for the UK to leave the European Union. The Board agreed the following statement:

ERIS was established in 1989, by trade unions in the south and south west in response to Jacques Delors’, President of the European Commission, strong advocacy of the European Social Model and pan European trade union organisation at the 1988 Trades Union Congress.

Since our creation the objectives of ERIS have been to support the trade unions and provide regular employment and legal updates; increase awareness of Europe and its implications for the Region; facilitate links with trade union colleagues in the European Union; organise joint seminars/conferences between ours and other European Regions; and provide digestible information.

To date, ERIS has established partnerships and information sharing services with many European trade union colleagues in France, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Spain, Greece and beyond. ERIS has organised and supported working groups, guest speakers and visits between trade union organisations and partners and looked at a wide range of issues, including industrial and economic policy, health and safety, workplace democracy and EU law.

ERIS is and always has been a body financed by trade union affiliations, individual donations and membership contributions. It has never received funds from the EU and is independent of it. ERIS is critical of the EU and opposes EU neo-liberalism. At the same time ERIS has believed in engagement with the EU and is for a Europe for working people, working together with the European trade unions and the European Court of Human Rights.

Following the result of the Referendum on 23^rd June, and now facing the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, ERIS is as necessary as ever. In support of our unions defending and advancing the interests of their members we will:

• Monitor the long period of negotiation to exit the EU;
• Co-operate with European colleagues to maintain and develop standards of worker protection;
• Meet and learn lessons from unions in the European Economic Area, eg. Norway;
• As the UK continues to be a valued member of the European TUC ERIS will continue with exchanges of people and information;
• As the UK continues its membership of NATO ERIS will continue to develop links with unions in the defence industry, both private and public (MOD);
• UK membership of European Works’ Councils continues, so ERIS will continue to support UK unions’ EWC representatives;
• Multi-national companies will continue within the EU and ERIS will support union exchanges in these companies;
• Cheaper and nastier treaties, eg. TTIP, continue to undermine workers’ interests and ERIS will continue to support opposition to such treaties;
• A UK Conservative Government will continue to work for a smaller state opening our public services to multi-national companies. ERIS will work with unions in European wide opposition to the attacks on public services;
• ERIS will support the development of a union plan of action to influence negotiations and the creation of a democratic Europe.
• ERIS remains committed to working with trade unions in the UK and in Europe to defend workers’ rights here and abroad and to fight for a social Europe that will protect all workers and their families, irrespective of ethnic origin, nationality or work location.

Campaigning for a Europe for working people