Posting of Workers

A ‘posted worker’ is a person employed in one EU country (‘Member State of origin’) and sent by his/her employer on a temporary basis to work in another (‘host Member State’).

The 2007/2008 judgments by the European Court of Justice, notably in the Laval, Viking, Rüffert and Luxembourg cases, undermined the rights of posted workers.  The principle of non-discrimination between all workers on the same territory for the same job is no longer guaranteed. Consequently, the ETUC demanded a revision of the Posting of Workers Directive 96/71/EC.

In spring 2014, the EU institutions adopted Directive 2014/ 67/ EU to improve enforcement and, in March 2016, the European Commission finally published its proposed revision. While this new proposal does not satisfy all trade union demands, it represents a considerable improvement, and the ETUC welcomed the Commission’s decision to reject objections from individual Member States.

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  • 20.03.2018 Press release

    Compromise on posting needs MEP & Ministers' agreement

    The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) urges MEPs and EU Governments to support the compromise deal on the Posting of Workers Directive agreed last night in ‘trilogue’ negotiations between the European Parliament, Commission and Council.
  • 01.03.2018 Press release

    Equal pay in sight for posted workers?

    The ETUC calls on MEPs and Governments to approve last night’s agreement on the revision of the Posting of Workers Directive, providing it offers full equal pay and protection for Europe’s posted workers. “At last posted workers could have a guarantee of equal pay,” said Luca Visentini, ETUC General Secretary, “and better protection. For some of Europe's 2 million posted workers it offers the prospect of a long overdue pay rise.
  • 24.10.2017 Press release

    Revision of the posting of workers Directive - Justice for workers now depends on MEPs

    Agreement late last night by Employment Ministers on the revision of the posting of workers Directive finally triggers negotiations with the European Parliament to finalise the much-needed revision of the Directive. However, given the disappointing agreement by Employment Ministers, fair rights for posted workers now depends on the negotiating skills and determination of the European Parliament. The agreement reached by Ministers
  • 16.10.2017 Press release

    Posted workers' rights in hands of EP vote today

    The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) urges the Employment and Social Affairs Committee of the European Parliament to adopt today the compromise package proposed by the co-rapporteurs. If adopted today and confirmed by the plenary next week, this package will become the official mandate for the European Parliament to negotiate with Council during “trilogue” discussions. The ETUC has long been calling on MEPs for a revision to ensure posted workers receive equal pay or the same work in the same place as a local worker.
  • 31.08.2017 Press release

    Trade unions want ambitious revision of Posted Workers Directive by the end of the year

    Tomorrow Luca Visentini, General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation, will meet French Labour Minister, Muriel Pénicaud, to discuss the revision of the Posting of Workers Directive. It follows an earlier meeting between Luca Visentini and President Macron on July 21 https://www.etuc.org/press/trade-unions-meet-french-president-paris and meetings with Ministers from other countries on posting including the Estonian and Maltese Presidencies.
  • 20.06.2017 Press release

    Trade union action against the proposed European services e-card

    The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) is strongly opposed to the services e-card proposed by the European Commission. To push forward our concerns, ETUC together with the European Federation of Building and Woodworkers (EFBWW) and the European service workers’ trade union (UNI-Europa) are organising a trade union “rejection of the services e-card” action within and outside the European Parliament on 21 June 2017, the day of a public hearing in the internal market committee. Trade unions want to be heard as workers’ concerns have not been met by the proposal.
  • 20.03.2017 Page

    Guiding Polish truckers in the right direction

    A growing number of Polish drivers are working in Belgium, sometimes on Belgian work contracts, and joining local trade unions. The Belgian Union of Transport (UBT) has set up a special info-point to support them.   The service offers information on a wide range of issues including social security, tax, unemployment benefits, and bankruptcy – and helps to counter social dumping by checking drivers are getting the same pay as Belgian colleagues.  

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