#PostingofWorkers: ALDE drives compromise ahead of key European Parliament vote

The revision aims to change three main areas: making the pay of posted workers equal to that of local workers, by introducing the concept of remuneration, changing the rules on long-term posting and applying the principle of equal treatment between temporary agency workers and comparable permanent workers.

Posted workers account for just 0.7 percent of the labour force in Europe, but have been at the heart of a long-standing political controversy between EU Member States.

ALDE shadow rapporteur, Martina Dlabajová MEP, commented today ahead of the vote: “Liberals and Democrats have played a prominent role in working to secure a compromise on a number of the core issues relating to this complex legislation.”

“As the European Parliament, our priority must be to deliver a cohesive European approach in the interests of both businesses and workers that will keep our internal market functioning and competitive. We must renounce the temptation to indulge in geographic polarisation and prejudices and the pursuit of solely national interests. Our aim should be to put the European collective interest first and find a workable compromise that respects the cohesion of the European internal market and ensures a good balance between the preservation of the free movement of services and the protection of worker’s rights.”

“Further work will be necessary in the trilogue negotiations ahead of us in order to lower administrative burdens and ensure legal certainty, which is a priority for Liberals and Democrats. We are happy that finally the duration of posting period has been agreed as 24 months within the Parliament, with the possibility to extend. This time period is in line with other relevant EU legislation, for example the social security coordination regulation. Coherence and consistency of rules is crucial for EU law framework and must be guaranteed. “

“I am delighted we have also improved the proposed text to ensure that companies cannot be held liable for the incorrect application of remuneration or collective agreements, if the information relating to these is not provided or is incorrectly provided on the single official website linked to this legislation. These measures should contribute to increase legal certainty and transparency.“

“Furthermore, it is important for me that the transport sector will be dealt with separately, outside of the posting of workers legislation. The highly mobile sector requires specific solutions, and as a rapporteur for the opinion on the posting of drivers file, I look forward to working on developing a bespoke solution that will preserve cross border operations and the competitive environment on the Single Market for a sector, which delivers for workers, citizens and employers.”