West Midlands MEP Nikki Sinclaire today takes her seat on the European Parliament's Employment Committee in Brussels.
Since her election in 2009, Nikki has spoken out strongly against EU policies and subsidies that have led to British businesses relocating to other EU member states. It was a £105 million grant from the EU that led to Peugeot closing its factory in Ryton and relocating to Slovakia in 2007 with the loss of 2,300 jobs.
Some of the main issues that Nikki will be addressing will include health & safety of workers, and tackling the problems of unemployment. Sometimes, said Nikki, EU policy is confused to say the least. "On the one hand, the EU wants to put more young people into employment, and on the other it wants to raise the retirement age as part of its active aging policy, whilst at the same time creating new taxes on business transactions. We need to remove all this political ideology and bureaucratic red tape and let our businesses get on and do what they are best at - creating jobs and prosperity".
Nikki has voted and acted consistently to protect British business and workers, and rejects what she describes as "EU interference and over-regulation" in British affairs.
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
The Employment & Social Affairs Committee is responsible for:
employment policy and all aspects of social policy such as working conditions, social security and social protection;
health and safety measures at the workplace;
the European Social Fund;
vocational training policy, including professional qualifications;
the free movement of workers and pensioners;
social dialogue;
all forms of discrimination at the workplace and in the labour market except those based on sex;
relations with:
- the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop),
- the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions,
- the European Training Foundation,
- the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work;
- as well as relations with other relevant EU bodies and international organisations
Danish presidency priorities:
check page 13 & page 50 http://eu2012.dk/en/EU-and-the-Presidency/About-the-Presidency/~/media/Files/Presidency%20programme/EU%20Presidency_Programme_UK_Final%20Web_22_12.ashx
