Joël Decaillon, ETUC Deputy General Secretary, stated: ‘These new proposed directives are bound to further fragment the labour market and facilitate social dumping in Europe. The directive for the single permit should be a framework law covering all rights for all workers without exception, guided by the principles of equality of treatment and non-discrimination’.

Mr Decaillon reminded the MEPs in attendance (Christian democrats, social democrats, Greens and the United Left) of the need to hold a mesured debate on these issues, because the consequences could be extremely serious for our societies. That is why he invited them to vote on 14 December on the proposed single permit in favour of the amendments establishing equality of treatment in order to avoid the adoption of an antisocial directive on first reading.