EU RULES ON LABOUR LAW MUST REFLECT REALITY

5.46.59pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 11th Jul 2007

West Midlands Euro-MP Liz Lynne, Vice President of the European Parliament's Employment and Social Affairs Committee, spoke today in a key debate in the European Parliament in Strasbourg on the future of Europe's labour law.

Speaking in the debate Liz said:

"We must recognise the current reality that there has been an increase in non-standard work contracts and that there is a need for a focus on employment security rather than job security."

"I do not believe we need a definition of the worker at EU level as this should be left to member-states to decide."

"Collective bargaining does still have an important role to play, however people who do not belong to a trade union have to have a way into this process, as should small and medium enterprises."

"At the moment the Commission's list of social partners is short and fails to truly take into account the views of SMEs, who are in many ways the engine room of Europe's economy."

ENDS