On 8-10 October the CALL network – Church Action on Labour and Life – held its 3rd Assembly in Brussels. The theme “Facing the crisis: CALL for good work in Europe” gathered about 35 delegates of CEC Member Churches from 20 different European countries to evaluate the work carried out by the network in the past two years and to decide on its future work.

Within the framework of the Call Assembly, a conference on precarious and good work in Europe took place on 9 October in the European Parliament and was hosted by MEP Jürgen Klute (EUL/NGL). The participants of the Assembly exchanged views on the first results of the CALL working group on precarious work, launched in 2010, with representatives of the European Parliament, the European Commission, the European Economic and Social Committee, Trade Unions and the International Labour Organization.

The different stakeholders highlighted that precarious work is a deprivation of rights, bringing insecurity into human life in today’s Europe. The CALL Assembly presented criteria for good work – like: the respect of human dignity, to be a service to the neighbour -, formulated in a holistic, Christian point of view. Those criteria and the existing rights of workers must be implemented by all stakeholders in Europe.

“Social protection and good work are not a cost, but a promising investment in people and society” was the concluding remark of the Call Assembly. This reflects the experience that countries with a strong social system, high taxes and distribution of income stand for decent work and are very competitive.

The Assembly decided to pursue its work at the European level through its working groups on: precarious work, sustainable economy and youth employment.

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The Conference of European Churches (CEC) is a fellowship of some 120 Orthodox, Protestant, Anglican and Old Catholic Churches from all countries of Europe, plus 40 associated organisations. CEC was founded in 1959. It has offices in Geneva, Brussels and Strasbourg.

The Church and Society Commission of CEC provides a platform for the CEC membership to reflect on socio-ethical issues ecumenically and to involve them in common action and advocacy in relation to the European Union, the Council of Europe, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the United Nations (in European matters). CSC operates as a forum for action, dialogue and ecumenical training in European affairs.

For more information please contact:
Mag. Elizabeta Kitanovic
Church and Society Commission of CEC
Rue Joseph II, 174
B-1000 Bruxelles
Tel. +32 2 230 17 32
Fax +32 2 231 14 13
E-Mail: eki@cec-kek.be