First European Summer University of Attac
From 2 to 5 August 2008 the first European Summer University of Attac was held in Saarbrücken, Germany. About 800 people attended, who came from many European countries : Germany, France, Austria, Switzerland, Scandinavia, Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic, Greece, Spain, Italy... and of course Belgium.
At this event Attac Brussels (1 and 2) organised a 4 days seminar on flexicurity and social models, in collaboration with Attac Paris centre and other speakers who came from different countries. Between 20 and 30 people were present every day ; if we count the total number of attendees who came at different times, they sum up to around 60 people.
Programme :
Saturday 2 August
Henri Houben, economist, member of Attac Brussels 1, « Flexicurity : Origins and causes ». For the presentation, click here.
- Tom Sauer, Attac Germany and professor at the University of Applied sciences of Iena, « Comparison of social models in Europe ». Overview of the Scandinavian model.
Pierre Khalfa, member of the scientific council of Attac France and spokesperson of the grouping of trade unions Solidaires, « The European Court of Justice against social Europe ». Some papers on the same topic by Pierre Khalfa : Statement on European law against social law, European law against social law, The Vaxholm ruling : the hypocrisy of European law.
Sunday 3 August
Francine Mestrum, lecturer at ULB (Free University of Brussels), member of Attac Flanders, « Politiques nationales et européennes » : Presentation on national and European policies.
Pierre Joseph, member of Attac Paris Centre, « Flexicurity in France » : Presentation Flexicurity in France. The full text on the situation of flexicurity in France is on the website of Attac France. You can see it by clicking here.
Tom Sauer, Attac Germany and professor at the University of Applied sciences of Iena, « Flexicurity in Denmark ». The Danish model.
Monday 4 August
Flora Flamant, member of Attac Brussels 1, « Flexicurity in Italy and Belgium ». Her presentations : Flexicurity in Belgium and in Italy (in French). An article on flexicurity in Italy is also available on the website of Attac Brussels : Flexi-precarity : the Italian model.
Mathyas Benyik, economist, president of Attac Hungary, « Flexicurity in Hungary ». For a long version of the presentation, click here.
Evelyne Perrin, member of AC ! and of « Stop Précarité » in France, « The situation of the « less » in the labour market ». A version of her presentation can be found in the frame of the French Summer University of Attac in Toulouse : Unemployment, precarity, flexibility : an alternative, the guarantee of income for all. There is an English version here : Platform of the jobless and precarious workers for a guaranteed decent income and social rights.
Tuesday 5 August
Sophie Heine, political scientist, member of Attac Brussels 1, « Quality full employment or chosen flexibility ? » : What alternative for what employment ?.
Tom Sauer, Attac Germany and professor at the University of Applied sciences of Iena, « Which social model shall we choose ? ».
Alternatives
The seminar was concluded by a discussion on alternatives. You can find the conclusions by clicking here.
Besides, the following documents can be useful to the reflection and we wish to propose them as a tool aimed at progressing in awareness raising and in our struggles.
Proposals for a programme on flexicurity by Attac Brussels
Unemployment, precarity, flexibility : an alternative, the guaranteed revenue for all.