Unions Meet with Chief Brexit Negotiator for Assurance on Employee Protections

Michel Barnier, chief negotiator responsible for the European Commission's working group for preparing and conducting negotiations with the United Kingdom, met with trade union officials from the LCGB , The OGBL, and the CGFP in order to have an exchange of views on the subject of Brexit.

As the UK government has launched the EU withdrawal procedure under Article 50 of the EU Treaty, the European Council must now adopt the directives which will serve as the basis for negotiations on the conditions for the UK’s exit from the EU, and their future relations.

Among the crucial points of negotiation are the exit bill from the European Union and the fulfilment of commitments by both sides, the free movement of persons and the future trade relations between the EU and the United Kingdom. While the agreements negotiated so far by the EU have always followed a process of regulatory convergence, the main dangers of the Brexit result from the fact that this logic is reversed.

Mr Barnier, stressed the importance of having a public and democratic debate, particularly with the national parliaments and the social partners, throughout the negotiation process.

The trade unions insisted that workers, students and citizens in the UK and the rest of the EU should not be burdened with Brexit. They called for the negotiations on Article 50 to lead to an economic and social agreement guaranteeing the right to stay, work and move to European citizens resident in the United Kingdom and British citizens resident in the United Kingdom, European Union.

Michel Barnier reaffirmed his desire to reach an agreement that protects the jobs, living conditions and rights of workers and not an agreement that ultimately leads to practices of social dumping, taxation, or unfair competition .

The particular question of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, in particular with regard to the free movement of frontier workers, was also raised. The situation of the British working in Luxembourg on behalf of a European institution or the EIB was also raised by the trades unions which demanded special attention in relation to these employees, whether they have the status of official staff or contract agent.

Mr Barnier agreed to inform the trades unions at every stage of the negotiation process. 

Image: Michel Barnier, Vincent Jacquet (LCGB), Véronique Eischen (OGBL), Romain Wolff (CGFP)