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GMB in Europe

Last week our Branch Secretary Darren James, represented GMB at the European Trade Union Institute during the ‘Circular Economy’ seminar.

Discussions took place around what the ‘circular economy’ means for workers and their representatives in the waste (collection, sorting, recycling, incineration, re-use) sector.

This sector that still sees low pay, low skilled work being done with poor health and safety standards. And what potential does worker participation have for increasing the sustainability of work in the sector?

Union representatives from Verdi (DE) Ole Borgard, FNV (NL) Eddy Stam and GMB (UK) Darren James all presented national organising campaigns and discussed their own experiences within this sector.

The meeting took place on February 9, 2016, in Brussels. For EPSU Jan Willem Goudriaan, general secretary, and Guillaume Durivaux, policy officer took part. For the ETUI Sigurt Vitols and for PSI Daria Cibrario took part. Jane Lethbridge, PSIRU, Darren James, GMB UK, Ole Borgard, Verdi German and Eddy Stam, FNV Netherlands gave presentations. About fifteen participants from Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, The Netherlands, Turkey and the UK attended the seminar.

Posted: 16th February 2016

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