15 December 2016

Politico: Worker protection rules trigger East-West battle

The aim is to close loopholes in a two-decades-old law on “posted workers” that allow businesses to ship cheap labor from country to country to bypass stringent employment rules — so-called social dumping. According to the plans, posted workers should receive the same pay and benefits as local workers, with local employment rules kicking in after 24 months.

But while France and Germany are pushing hard for the changes, a number of mainly Central and Eastern European countries remain strongly opposed. In both the Council of the EU and the European Parliament — which must both agree on the changes before they become law — the same East-West splits have emerged. [...]

However, she wants the length of time workers can be treated as “posted” to be cut from 24 to 12 months, after which the employment regulations of the host country would kick in.

Not all MEPs are behind the changes, which are “motivated by public opinion, not facts,” said Martina Dlabajová, a Czech Liberal MEP. “Unfortunately, it is a false promise to workers who think their lives will be better. Instead, some of them might be out of work soon.”

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