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On 9 December 2013, European Trade Union Federations mobilised in front of the European Council building against the current proposals on the enforcement of the posting of workers Directive.

The posting of workers Directive is being abused by unscrupulous employers to illegally post workers across European borders. The currently negotiated Enforcement Directive was initially aimed at improving the enforcement of the initial Posting of Workers Directive. EFBWW, EFFAT, UNI Europa, EPSU, ETF and Belgian Trade Union colleagues mobilised to demand a stop to the identified Social Dumping practices from the Labour and Social Affairs Ministers. The European trade union movement demands the implementation of measures that hold companies accountable with harder liability clauses and effective sanctions. Ministers of Labour must protect posted workers, address the precarious situation of illegally posted workers, and deal with the problem of false self-employed workers.

Oliver Roethig, UNI Europa Regional Secretary, said: “In view of the upcoming European elections, we reject the current Enforcement of Posting of Workers Directive proposals and let the politicians know that we do not accept a window-dressing deal pretending to drive Social Europe forward. Social dumping and the exploitation of workers must end!”    

Resulting social dumping and workers’ exploitation have become widespread practices in the EU. Foreign workers are posted in host countries where they are exploited with low wages, inhuman living conditions and no social protection coverage. Workers are posted abroad without any effective control or sanctions foreseen over the minimum requirements that sending employers have to comply with. False self-employment, fraudulent posting, illicit agency work and similar practices have become common in many workplaces. Social dumping and exploitation have negative consequences first and foremost for the migrant workers, who are just looking for a job, but are instead confronted with their ruthless exploitation. Law-abiding companies are facing unfair competition as fraudulent companies gain significant sums of money and enjoy competitive advantages such as reduced wages. National social protection schemes are seriously undermined and circumvented. Cross-border social dumping is a threat to the fundamental liberty of European free movement. More information can be found on: http://www.stopsocialdumping.eu . 

Fraudulent companies use the European internal market legislation and the identified legal loopholes to perpetuate the exploitation of workers and social dumping. The lack of prevention, control and enforcement of social dumping practices means that fraudulent companies have a wide range of options: bogus self-employment; the use of letter-box companies; inexistent or poor controls in some countries, the knowledge that cross-border cooperation and information exchange is difficult and inefficient, if not inexistent; and the fact that the cross-border collection of fines and enforcement of judgements are virtually impossible.

On 9 December 2013, The European trade union movement jointly rejected the current proposals on the enforcement of the posting of workers Directive. You can find the poster prepared for the Demonstration in the Related Files tab.