EU: interview of Bart Samyn, deputy general secretary of the European Metalworkers’ Federation, about the future industry federation

Bart Samyn.  First, I should say that we made a big decision – going on with the merger, but that doesn’t mean that the merger is through.  We still need to solve the last elements.  Regarding the added value of the future European organization, it will first help us be stronger.  Currently, the EMF represents 4.5 million members.  After the merger with the EMCEF and the ETUF: TCL, we will represent about 7.5 million members in Europe.  This means that we will be more easily heard at the level of the European Commission and of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), where the industry federation will be the biggest federation.  This is important, but I don’t think it’s the most important aspect.  Our best asset with this new federation will be that it will be better adjusted to today’s businesses and sectors.  There are more mixed businesses and sectors than before, where the divide between the old metal industry and the old chemistry is no longer clear-cut.  The auto industry is the more telling example: initially part of the metal industry, there are now chemistry firms involved with rubber, as well as textile.  This is also true of GDF Suez where we cover the industrial part.  In this context, the fact that we will not simply work together but also act together is definitely going to be the greatest added value to this merger.  Besides, it is going to help us organize better and be more structured, because we’ve been doing the same work in all three organizations.  A federation more suited to the reality of businesses, more structure for employees are going to be possible with the new industry federation.  In the future, we’ll see if another extension is necessary, because even with the EMCEF and the ETUF: TCL, we still don’t represent the entire industry sector.  It will be a debate in the future, but I think we’re on the right track.