Blunkett: End to European Isolation

Blunkett Signs Up to More of the Social Chapter

Mr Blunkett, in Luxembourg for his first Euro-meeting since taking office, said every individual should have the right to "decent minimum standards of fairness" at work, a principle upheld by new EU rules on sex discrimination. The legislation gives more power to workers by placing the responsibility on employers to prove their innocence if accused in court of sex discrimination, reversing the "burden of proof" which is usually on the employee.

As the reversal of the Conservatives' Social Chapter opt-out is not yet ratified, Mr Blunkett cannot formally take part in this afternoon's vote. Subject to last-minute bartering on wording, the new rule will be ushered in by a majority vote of 14 member states, with the UK a welcome observer after years of non-participation in Euro social discussions.

Michael Portillo, when he was social affairs secretary, told the rest of Europe that Britain under the Tories could not sign up for the "burden of proof" measure, even though similar laws have been in force in Britain since the 1980s. He said then that Brussels should not interfere in domestic legislation - a stark contrast with Mr Blunkett's message in Luxembourg.

He used his first EU meeting to call for a "people's Europe based on job creation, employability and social cohesion". He said unemployment at 18 million in the fifteen member states was unacceptably high and job creation was the EU's top task. "The key to our success must be to develop our peoples' employability within labour markets that are flexible and fair. People must have the skills that will make them employable. Firms and their work forces must be adaptable, and our labour markets must be modernised and responsive to economic change."

McCartney: A new Chapter