Sir,

John Monks provides an interesting insight both into his personal experiences in Brussels and recent economic and social developments in some member states. In particular, many business people can readily empathise with his espousal of a partnership approach to labour market issues between employers and employees.

His article correctly identifies debate on the draft EU Services Directive as a key discussion held between these social partners over the past year. While Monks noted the original Commission proposal was “killed”, it is important to recognise that this directive has been modified to make it more acceptable to all stakeholders, particularly European trades unions. European business in general considers that the amended directive lacks ambition. But it is at least a step towards the creation of a genuine internal market for services in the EU, so we should make the best of it.

It is a shame that Monks tended to play to the gallery in his general remarks about the business community, reverting to old-style trade union stereotypes of the business world. It would have been more helpful to hear about the genuinely constructive work that he and his organisation, the European Trade Union Confederation, have been undertaking with business representatives. This includes the agreement reached last year on a Social Partner work programme for 2006-2008 which will build on the 2003-2005 programme that stimulated EU accords in areas such as tele-working and work-related stress.

When John Monks speaks to Confederation of European Business meetings, I can guarantee that he is not surrounded by “new Bourbons” as he called today’s top executives. Instead, he is meeting hard working managers of small and large companies, people who are collectively responsible for providing decent livelihoods for millions of European citizens and their families. These business leaders know that if the EU is to be economically sustainable in the future, it is essential that they pay more attention to the quality and quantity of regulations coming out of Brussels, including social legislation.

It would also be useful to learn why Mr. Monks believes that “unions are losing some of their faith” in the partnership approach and consider it akin to “sleeping with the enemy”. This is particularly interesting because some of Europe’s most successful economies actively engage in partnership between business and labour, e.g. Denmark, Finland, Norway, Ireland and Austria. Ireland’s recent “Towards 2016” agreement – the latest in a series of national accords that have governed economic and social policy since 1987 – is a good example of how all stakeholders in a society can benefit from social partnership.