Ahead of a vote in the Council on Friday (29 March), which risks derailing the updating of the Regulations on Coordination of Social Security systems, Marek Benio provides some timely insight and advice.
The European Parliament and member states have reached an agreement to set up a new European Labour Authority (ELA) to protect workers’ rights and launch cross-border investigations in case of potential abuses.
Marek Benio, who will chair the 6th European Labour Mobility Congress in Krakow on 14-15 March, offers his commentary regarding the European Parliament's proposals for the revision of regulations affecting social security schemes for posted workers.
Associations working to fight against inequalities are calling on the EU to adopt a more aggressive policy against fraudulent employers. This approach echoes a survey showing that the majority of French people are closely following this issue. EURACTIV France reports.
Doing business across EU borders should be frictionless. But in reality, European companies still face excessive bureaucracy when posting workers to another EU country, writes Thilo Brodtmann.
Hungary and Poland said on Thursday (4 October) they have gone to the European Court of Justice to challenge tighter European Union rules on the employment of workers from low-pay EU states.
Two draft laws which will be voted on during the European Parliament's plenary session on Thursday (14 June) could lead to more job insecurity for lorry drivers. EURACTIV.fr reports.
After 27 months of negotiations, MEPs approved a revision of the posted workers directive, an issue which symbolises divisions between East and West in the EU. EURACTIV.fr reports.
Hundreds of truck drivers blocked roads across Bulgaria on Thursday (17 May) as European Union leaders met in Sofia, protesting against proposed EU rules they say would cost them their jobs and put their firms out of business.
Poland's foreign minister has called for strengthening the role of states and national parliaments in the European decision-making process and moving away from the federalist model. EURACTIV.fr reports.
Although the EU member states recently reached an agreement to tighten posted worker controls, another door has been opened to social dumping, warn Vania Grigorova and Anastaska Todorova, representing two trade unions in Bulgaria.
The European Commission wants to set up a new EU agency to oversee cross-border labour disputes and manage the growing number of people who travel within the bloc for work. The agency would receive a budget of €50 million and open before the current Commission’s term ends next year.
A recent uptick in EU legislation on social issues has sparked disagreement between member states on controversial files to regulate labour rules across the bloc. Now legislators are trying to hammer out a way to enforce the growing number of rules.
French President Emmanuel Macron said yesterday (23 November) that Poland's plans to overhaul the judiciary remained a cause for concern though there were a decreasing number of subjects where the two countries did not see eye-to-eye.
Although the compromise in the field of posted workers would not be beneficial to the single market, to drastically reduce the number of posted workers would be even more catastrophic for Europe as a whole, writes Marek Benio.
After lengthy negotiations, EU member states found a compromise on Monday (23 October) on the reform of posted workers, one of the pivotal issues for the EU reform pushed by Emmanuel Macron. EURACTIV France reports.
After this week's European Council summit in Brussels, EU leaders are already preparing for their next meeting, which will take place in Sweden next month and focus on social issues. It's a divisive area and member states still have one major hurdle in their way before they reconvene.
MEPs adopted the equal pay for equal work principle but the maximum time posted workers are allowed abroad remains unanswered. EURACTIV France reports.
Hungary will defend its tough new laws on non-governmental groups all the way to the European Court as the EU legal action against it was barely worth discussing, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said on Friday (6 October).
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker wants to set up a new EU institution to monitor how labour law is applied in member states. The Commission will outline its plans for the supervisory authority by the end of 2018.
The debate on posted workers has flared up again following Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Austria, Romania, Bulgaria and Luxembourg. But to break the deadlock, Europe needs to broaden its approach to the issue, write Frederic De Wispelaere and Jozef Pacolet.
There needs to be an EU-wide solution to precarious app economy jobs, said Estonian Labour and Health Minister Jevgeni Ossinovski in an interview with EURACTIV.com.
The centre-right French MEP in charge of guiding the controversial posting of workers directive through the European Parliament has lashed out at Emmanuel Macron after he promised to strike a compromise on the legislation by the end of this year.
The need for fast, accurate and balanced information is always important. We value EURACTIV's good, independent journalism and support this initiative
Mella Frewen, Director General of FoodDrinkEurope
EURACTIV plays a vital role in bringing Europe closer to its citizens. EURACTIV has long recognised that the story of Europe has to be told across the continent, and not just in Brussels. We need to support a truly European and informed debate.
