Jean has sent the following statement of support to Public and Commercial Services staff working at the Equality and Human Rights Commission (ECHR), who are striking today as part of a joint campaign with Unite members against compulsory redundancies and budget cuts. 

Dear Friends,

The EHRC has a front-line role in promoting and defending equality legislation and human rights – a role which is increasingly important as we see hate-crime on the rise, pregnant women still facing dismissal and rising costs making it impossible for people to take cases to tribunals. The EHRC itself is facing yet more budget cuts and its work must be defended.

This defence would be easier if the EHRC were not pushing compulsory redundancies among its own staff who, with a different employer, would be asking for EHRC’s help in their own workplace. Staff should not be having to take strike action to demand, full, meaningful consultation and genuine offers of redeployment. Cutting these staff reduces the internal diversity of the EHRC. I urge ECHR management to work with staff and their Union to find a just solution. Then, all energies can be focused on fighting cuts to this crucially important body and tackling the growing division and prejudice in our society.

Yours in solidarity,

Jean Lambert

Green Party MEP, London

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Speaking today following the Prime Minister Theresa May’s speech on Brexit, Jean Lambert Green MEP for London, said

“Theresa May had a range of options as to how to shape Brexit; she has deliberately chosen to interpret the referendum along the lines of the most staunch leave-campaigners. Her threat that the UK could slash taxes to poach investment if the EU fails to offer the UK a good trade deal risks painful consequences for my constituents of London and all those in the UK as valuble European social and environmental protections would fall victim to this policy.

While her commitment to Parliament having a vote on the final deal is to be welcomed, her hardline stance will pose serious difficulties for Scotland and Northern Ireland, where the majority voted to stay in the EU. She must furthermore commit to guaranteeing the rights of EU nationals living in Britain, and of British citizens who have chosen to make their home elsewhere in the EU – people’s lives are not to be used as a bargaining chip”.

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We are in a shifting political landscape and there is a need for EU to find its place and its purpose as we face major challenges. The European Parliament must be a standard-bearer for human rights and democracy, solidarity and environmental progress. The President is our face to the world and must be a strong proponent of these values.

In helping to shape our common future, and for the EP to fulfil its own role as the directly elected representatives of the people of the EU, we have to ensure our own house is in order and that we are an ‘open’ institution in our everyday work.

We should be:

– More transparent: the new President will have to ensure our recent rule changes, on opening up the law-making process, lobbyists, MEP interests. We will need a strong ethics Committee as well.

– More independent: we can do a better job of holding the Commission to account and following up on our decisions; we need enquiry committees decided on by Parliament alone and with tougher powers. We are a stronger institution if we have a truly independent civil service

– More environmentally conscious: we can cut our use of plastic, promote energy efficiency and reduce our carbon footprint – a Single Seat for the Parliament would help do this.

– More inclusive: of civil society in terms of developing more ‘structured’ dialogue, as required by the Treaties; of political groups of all sizes in our decision-making; in our composition – gender-balance is still an issue across our institutions but diversity as a whole also matters

– More socially responsible: the EP should ensure the rights and well-being of its workers, not least by improving the working conditions of those on ‘precarious’ contracts

I believe that Parliament’s President should be the voice of Parliament and not the voice of a single political group. That’s not to deny that this is obviously a political role, but that role is to represent the values and views of a democratically elected Parliament and not to use it as a personal platform.

I’m convinced that, today, the EP needs a President who isn’t a ‘usual suspect’ in terms of coming across as a Brussels insider. It’s true that I’ve been an MEP for a long time but I’m from a smaller political group, am often critical of EU policies and a passionate advocate for those who have benefitted least while living in possible the world’s richest region.

As some have pointed out, I’m also British. Neither myself, nor my political group of the Greens/EFA feel that this should disbar me from the Presidency of this house. Indeed – it may well be the last chance MEPs have to elect a British President! The UK Referendum last year means that I have thought a great deal about the value of the EU and the need to communicate that to the people of the European Union. Because I feel so strongly about the value of the EU and because I am proud to represent the people of the UK (London in particular), I know that the UKs’ exit from the EU must be, as far as is a possible, a win-win process and I am clear that it must not damage the future prospects of the EU.

We face many challenges today – we are stronger when we promote the values of democracy, universal human rights and solidarity on a sustainable planet together. I would be honoured to work with you all as your President on this basis.

Watch Jean’s video statement here

ENDS

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The European Parliament today voted to accept a report on green employment, authored by Green employment spokesperson Jean Lambert. The report, entitled Green Employment Initiative: Tapping into the job creation potential of the green economy follows on from last year’s European Commission proposals on green employment as part of the EU’s Europe 2020 objectives.

Jean said:

‘Making the case for coherent, long-term policies on investment in resource efficient, low-emission sectors and workforce engagement so that a ‘just transition’ away from fossil fuel dependency happens has been challenging. Doubly so when governments and some MEPs seem resistant to low carbon energy sectors, even though so many new jobs could be created.’

‘This report sends a strong signal to the European Commission on the need for ambitious proposals on the shift to a green and resource efficient economy. The next step is making sure that green jobs will be decent, fairly paid jobs with good working conditions.’

Main points of the report:

• Gender equality perspective in the definition, implementation and monitoring of green job creation policies at all levels
• Workforce engagement is essential in a green transition. Some sectors will undergo considerable change, even decline, and managing that change will be more positive with the provision of effective support mechanisms.
• Just transition roadmaps could be developed by local and regional governments, so they can manage change for the benefit of workers and communities and not simply react to circumstances.

A further source of green employment will be the circular economy and the report calls on the European Commission to honour its commitment to make a new proposal on EU waste legislation by the end of 2015. Green jobs could also be created by shifting the tax burden from employment to environmental costs, so that the effect is not regressive. Ending counterproductive subsidies that support polluting or carbon intensive sectors should also be a priority.

With the green transition’s success also dependent on how well existing businesses adapt to new circumstances, another key demand is for effective support and retraining measures to increase workforce engagement. EU funds could also play a part here.

The European Commission and Council must now come forward with firm proposals aimed at the creation of green, sustainable jobs as part of a sustainable future.

Jean concluded: ‘It has been a battle worth fighting. When there’s a political will, there’s a way.’

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ISDS-Consulation-JL-response

To take part in the consultation, click here.

To read ‘From your dinner plate to your pay packet’, a briefing on TTIP by Jean and Keith Taylor, South East England’s Green Party MEP, click here.

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She made the call after it emerged that cleaners at the chain are still paid less than the living wage – an hourly rate calculated according to the basic cost of living in the UK, currently standing at £7.65 in the UK and £8.80 in London.

Although the John Lewis Partnership is widely considered to be a model of ethical employment, with a profit-share scheme that saw most staff receive a 14% bonus last year, its cleaners are not directly employed by the firm and, as well as being paid less than a living wage, are entitled to neither bonus payments nor a share in the firm’s profits.

Ms Lambert said: “The John Lewis Partnership is one of the most successful retailers in the UK: a trip to the firm’s flagship store in Oxford Street is, for many, synonymous with a central London shopping trip.

“It’s shocking then that it chooses to have it’s stores cleaned by people who aren’t paid enough to live on, and I hope this attention will persuade them to change their minds.

“The Green Party believes that the minimum wage should be replaced with a living wage, and that the last well-paid workers in the UK should all earn a greater share of the nation’s wealth.

“A more equal society is better for everyone, not just the least well-off, and all employers – especially one, like John Lewis, which is widely-regarded as one which treats its staff fairly – must do their bit by increasing pay at ‘the bottom’ and bringing in a ‘pay ratio’ to make sure its Chief Executive and best paid staff earn no more than ten times the amount taken home by its staff, often its cleaners, earning the least.”

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LONDON’S Green Euro-MP Jean Lambert has hit out at Chancellor George Osborne after he announced plans bypass EU rules designed to criminalise rogue bankers in last Thursday’s annual speech to banking industry chiefs at Mansion House.

Ms Lambert, whose London constituency includes The City, said we need reforms – but they should be decided at EU level so they encompass banks working in Frankfurt, London, and financial centres across the EU.

She said: “By attempting to introduce reforms to the British banking sector while ruling out any of the common EU reforms designed to tackle the very same problems of fraud and excess, Osborne is sending a clear message to the EU: ‘keep out of the way the UK financial sector does its business’.

“This is likely to be disastrous – the financial woes suffered by much of the world were caused as much by a piecemeal approach to banking regulation as they were by the excesses of the industry.

“The fact remains that the financial sector is as powerful – and fleet of foot – as most Governments. If we don’t join up regulations across borders, it will always seek to do its business in the most favourable jurisdiction, and that can only be bad for consumers.

“It’s also at odds with the views of most people. The Greens have worked hard to shape EU banking regulations: pushing for a Financial Transaction Tax, for example, and a cap on bankers’ bonuses – and these are the reforms most people want to see.”

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GREEN MEP Jean Lambert has said the EU should step up efforts to eradicate child labour around the world put putting the issue on the agenda of all future trade meetings.

Ms Lambert, speaking on World Day Against Child Labour, said there were about 168 million children working around the world – about half of them in hazardous conditions – mostly to meet the basic needs of their families and deal with poverty and financial insecurity.

“Much of this work – which is preventing children from receiving a proper education and is trapping whole communities in cycles of poverty – can be eliminated if governments extend a basic social safety net to all,” said Ms Lambert.

“Put simply, decent social protection – sick pay, health care, pensions, unemployment protection and parental benefits – is a useful step to eliminating child labour, as the International Labour Organisation (ILO) has observed.

“By itself, it isn’t enough: we need whole community solutions and, above all, people to believe that all child labour is unacceptable.

“Engagement with the EU is often a catalyst for improved social measures, but about five billion people, that’s almost three-quarters of the world’s population, are not having their basic welfare needs met.”

The Green Euro-MP, who chairs the European Parliament’s Delegation to South Asia, which includes Bangladesh and Pakistan, said it was also crucial that all EU countries got their own houses in order – and didn’t dilute social protection in the name of financial austerity.

She said the UK, in particular, must take care to ensure the bedroom tax and spiraling housing costs coupled with wages that are declining in real terms, other benefit changes and increased training costs aren’t driving any teenagers to leave education early to seek work.

She made her comments as the ILO began its campaign to ‘Red Card to Child Labour’ campaign, ahead of the FIFA World Cup, which began yesterday in Brazil.

In January Ms Lambert, a member of the European Parliament’s Employment and Social Affair Committee, raised the issue of child labour in Bangladesh with the European Commission.

In particular, she raised concerns that some ‘micro-finance’ schemes, in which poor entrepreneurs are lent small sums of cash either to establish themselves in self-employment or to start businesses could actually be encouraging child labour as families seek regular incomes to pay back the small loans.

She asked whether such schemes, where they were funded by the EU, were assessed for their impact on child labour.

EU Development Commissioner Andris Piebalgs said the EU was committed to ensuring that children’s rights were upheld throughout the world – and, in particular, was committed to the eradication of child labour in all the countries with which it does business.

Ms Lambert added: “I am delighted to hear that the EU is determined to play its part in the fight against child labour around the world.

“Requiring real commitment on extending social protection from trading partners is one way it could really make a difference, and I hope, as the world marks World Day Against Child Labour today, that the ILO succeeds in its efforts to show the ‘Red Card to Child Labour’.”

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She said austerity had been ‘a blunt instrument applied with no thought to the social consequences’, and said the proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) would encourage privatisation in the NHS and make Government regulation harder in areas like food safety and environmental protection.

You can read the full interview here.

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LONDON’S Green MEP Jean Lambert has condemned the arrest of some 200 demonstrators – many Green Party activists – as business leaders met in Brussels to discuss a trade deal between the EU and US that could lead to the end of the NHS as we know it.

Ms Lambert said: “Today’s talks were deigned to cement further the role of US firms in providing public services across the EU – and help develop a deal that could mean an end to most environmental, health, and safety regulations across the EU.

“Many protesters today were peacefully arguing that this was an attack on democracy itself: some of them even worked, I’m told, for directly-elected MEPs.

“So there is a certain irony that hey were met with police water cannon and arrest.

“I hope they are all released, unharmed, quickly, and that the secretive trade deal – the proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) – is quickly abandoned.”

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