Minister Schmit said: “The existing rules for the posting of workers could not prevent the abuse and discrimination of mobile workers and unfair competition between workers and between companies. We therefore welcome the Commission’s commitment to launch a targeted review of the Posting of Workers Directive. We call on the Commission to make sure that this review will result in a substantial revision of the directive, as the PES has been repeatedly calling for in order to strengthen the rights of workers in Europe. For this aim, we also support the rapid implementation of the EU platform against undeclared work, because we cannot accept that employers bypass neither mobile, nor domestic workers’ rights, nor unfair competition due to social dumping practices.”
The letter also emphasises the ministers’ rejection of populist notions that mobile workers would cause a deterioration of social and labour standards. “For the PES, the freedom of movement of workers and the freedom to provide services are non-negotiable EU rights. It is not mobile workers enjoying their rights but fraudulent practices of some employers that can lead to a deterioration of social and labour standards. A strengthened Posting of Workers Directive and a solid platform against undeclared work would be significant measures against abusive actions”, Minister Schmit added.
Minister Schmit’s open letter follows a common declaration of the PES Employment and Social Affairs Ministers, wherein the ministers propose measures to be taken for fair workers’ mobility in the European Union.
