eSignature Licitness for Manufacturing and Supply Agreement in European Union

How to eSign a document: eSignature licitness for Manufacturing and Supply Agreement in European Union

What is the European project about? What was it about? It was about peace, democracy and the economy. How to make sure we have a single economy that competes in the rest of the world? But from the very beginning, Trade Unions started to demanding themselves: “OK but we also need something social in there”. It is not only about democracy, not only about the economy: it is also about protecting workers’ rights. Giving to them some benefits some protections for their future, for their families. Building up what we call the European social model. And this is the reason why the ETUC was created in 1973. At the very beginning, it was an informal network and then it was transformed into a very real Trade Union. Now we have almost 90 affiliates, all around Europe for all the countries. And what we try to do, from the 1970s to the 90s more or less, was to build up together the EU social model. Together with the EU institutions, but also with the European employers associations. So it was a tri-partite discussion, as we call it in the Brussels-based jargon, that was meant to create a social model we could be proud of, that could really protect citizens and workers but also companies, to make sure that we have social inclusion and respect for rights in the EU. But then of course, the situation evolved significantly after 2000, especially when we entered the great globalisation era, then the economic and financial crisis, with the austerity measures, and all these problems, linked to the economy, to the European Monetary Union, to the fact that we have a single currency, our single market is very problematic with a lot of difficulties, etc. etc. So the ETUC was pushed to have a broader role, a broader mission, more ambitious, and touching upon other elements, that is not only having social dialogue , having discussion with the employers and with the European Union. It's also about making sure that our economy is fairer, that there is a real distribution of wealth also to workers, that we can have a sustainable model for economic growth, creating quality jobs for people. It is about managing the so-called transition: transition towards a low carbon economy, but also towards a more digital society, automation, globalisation, international trade: a lot of phenomena that can have unwanted consequences on the interests of workers. We have to manage all this! So it is about reshaping for the future our social model, but it is also about being able, as the Trade Unions, at the EU level, to deal with the great challenges that we have in front of us: the digital economy, non standard work, precarious jobs in the labour market, but also migration, mobility, social dumping, wage dumping, unfair competition, workers being exploited and played against each others. All these are the new frontiers for the ETUC to realise our mission for the future. Since we are celebrating this year the 150 anniversary of the global Trade Unions movement, I would like the ETUC to be remembered for the next 150 years. And second, the most important thing is to protect our workers. Making sure that “The Europe that protects” that is the slogan that we hear everywhere, becomes a reality for the people that we represent. And the best way to do it, is to make sure that the social partners, and in particular the Trade Unions, are really part of the decision making process, can really negociate better living and working conditions. This is also about democracy. Peace and democracy are not only political values, these are also social values. Introducing democratic values in the economy, in the labour market and in society, means exactly this. This is the mission for the ETUC. And also what we want to be remembered for.