Lisbon - a Citizen's Treaty that will further democratise the EU - Gilmore

Posted on June 10, 2008 at 11:04 PM

Speaking after the Labour Party's final press conference before the eve-of-vote moratorium in broadcasting coverage, the Labour Leader Eamon Gilmore said he accepted that the Lisbon Reform Treaty is a complex document that doesn't lend itself to simple explanation.

"However," he said, "there is now sufficient information available to the public to allow voters to make an informed choice on Thursday."

There are a number of very good reasons why working people should vote 'Yes' tomorrow.

1. The Charter of Fundamental Rights will become part of the European Union Treaties and will, for the first time, make it a basic part of the EU that working people will have "the right to negotiate and conclude collective agreements at the appropriate levels and, in cases of conflicts of interest, to take collective action to defend their interests, including strike action"
2. In addition, the Charter of Fundamental Rights, inserts in the EU Treaties, a range of rights for workers, including rights to information and consultation; protection against unfair dismissal; fair and just working conditions; and entitlement to social security and social assistance.
3. The Treaty contains a "social clause" whereby social issues, such as the promotion of a high level of employment, adequate social protection and the fight against social exclusion must be taken into account when the EU is defining and implementing all policies.
4. The Lisbon Treaty will strengthen people's rights to Public Services. It sets down a legal basis for legislating on public services, and includes a specific protocol on public services. In addition the Charter unequivocally gives citizen rights of access to public services.

You can see clips from the final press conference on our You Tube channel with contributions from Eamon as well as from our Spokesperson on Europe and Director of Elections, Deputy Joe Costello and our MEP for Dublin Proinsias De Rossa. You can also read Eamon and Joe's statements in our media centre as well as view photographs from the press conference on Flickr.

Tagged with Foreign & European Affairs • lisbonreformtreaty