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Dear colleague,
Please find attached Strasbourg Round-Up for May

With best wishes
Gary Titley
.......................................
Euro Office
16 Spring Lane, Radcliffe
Manchester M26 2TQ
Tel 0161 724 4008 Fax 0161 724 4009 www.garytitley.com
 

New deal for Agency workers

Labour MEPs were celebrating in Strasbourg this month after hearing that the government had finally reached an agreement with the trades unions and the CBI on new rights for temporary and agency workers. The deal means that after 12 weeks in a job, agency workers in the UK will qualify for the same terms and conditions as permanent staff doing the same job. It will now pave the way for agreement on an EU-wide directive protecting vulnerable workers across Europe, who are open to exploitation by cowboy bosses.

Welcoming the news, Gary Titley said: “Labour MEPs have been fighting for years to get a better deal for agency works and this agreement is an important step along that road. It’s typical of the Tories that they won’t support it. Beneath the nice new Cameron façade, they’re still the same old nasty party at heart”.

No! to discrimination of any kind

Labour MEPs helped chalk up a victory in the fight against discrimination this month in Strasbourg. The Parliament called on the European Commission to stick to its promise to bring in a comprehensive directive to combat any discrimination in access to goods and services on grounds of sex, race, religion, disability, age or sexual orientation. Gary said: “Removing all forms of discrimination in society has always been a top priority for Labour. It’s great to see this move forward at European level. We’ll now be watching the Commission closely to make sure they keep their word on this one.”

Climate Change report

Combating climate change was yet again the hot topic on this month’s Strasbourg agenda. MEPs voted overwhelmingly in favour of the climate change committee’s report, which poured cold water on “scientifically unsubstantiated efforts” to deny climate change and warned that not enough is currently being done to stem global warming in the long term.

The report also called for more research into the effects of biofuels. MEPs have listened to both sides of the argument, including worries about rising world food prices and deforestation on the one hand and the potential for real cuts in CO2 emissions, especially with second generation biofuels on the other. The hope is that extensive new research will help establish the facts more clearly to make sure the right decisions are eventually made.

Speaking after the vote, Gary said: “Climate change presents both a challenge and an opportunity. If we don’t act now, future generations will
suffer. If we do act now, developing the technologies required to reduce the effects of global warming could help to create thousands of jobs.”

EU subsidies on tobacco growing

Gary has been at the forefront of the long-running campaign to make people fully aware of the harmful effects of smoking. That’s why he gave his full support to Labour’s spokesperson on the Agricultural Committee and fellow North West MEP Brian Simpson who came out strongly against continuing to give subsidies to EU tobacco farmers.

Rejecting arguments from other MEPs that tobacco growers in Spain and Greece would be left out on a limb if direct payments to them were stopped, Gary said it was “not only hypocritical but immoral” to continue funding the tobacco industry. That was because the European Parliament had repeatedly voted for stricter health warnings on cigarette packets and put more money into education and public health programmes to help people quit smoking.

Victory for Energy Consumers

The European Parliament is lending a helping hand for people worried about rising fuel bills. This month in Strasbourg, the Parliament’s Industry, Research and Energy Committee voted for measures to regulate the companies that own gas transmission systems. This in turn should lead to lower prices for consumers, since the major energy players will no longer be able to get away with charging what they like. The issue of energy poverty has also been placed firmly on the EU agenda, with MEPs calling for member countries to come up with strategies to tackle the issue.

European City Guide

Gary’s efforts to end attempted scams by dodgy directory companies this month won the backing of the Parliament’s Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee which is chaired by fellow North West Labour MEP, Arlene McCarthy. The Committee publicly demanded that member states crack down on EU wide dodgy directory scams that are robbing businesses of thousands of pounds.

The City Guide scammers operate by sending businesses a form asking for information, claiming that they will put it in a “City Guide”, cost free. However, the small print demands up to €3000 a year. Businesses are then bullied and harassed until they pay up. In the past, the company behind the scam has been caught in Spain. But then it just set up shop in another country. Gary said: “This is a clear example of where action in one country along is not enough. We need a firm response at European level too.”

Burma

This month in Strasbourg, MEPs condemned the Burmese authorities’ slow response to the crisis caused by the recent cyclone. They adopted a resolution that asked Burma to open cyclone-affected areas to international humanitarian aid operations and to immediately grant visas to aid workers. Preventing aid from reaching those in danger was tantamount to crimes against humanity and therefore, authorities should be held accountable before the International Criminal Court, MEPs said.

And Finally…

Tom Wise, the UKIP MEP got well and truly caught out in a sting by the News of the World. He gleefully boasted to the rather attractive blond reporter that he got loads of cash for doing very little. And to make matters worse, he then sent round an e-mail to all MEPs, gleefully hoping that the Parliament in Strasbourg would be closed, due to asbestos fears, so he wouldn’t have to go to work. He should be utterly ashamed of himself.
Gary Titley MEP
May 2008