UNISONActive is an unofficial blog produced by UNISON activists for UNISON activists. Bringing news, briefings and events from a progressive left perspective.

Wednesday 17 March 2010

ETUC unfolds its proposals for revision of the Posting Directive today in Spain‏

At a conference today in Oviedo, Spain, the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) is welcoming the initiative of the Spanish presidency to discuss the Posting Directive and the protection of workers’ rights, and will explain why and how it wants to revise the Posting Directive. A revision is necessary, after a series of ECJ cases limiting in particular the scope for trade unions and Member States to counter unfair competition on wages and working conditions in situations of cross border service provision.

In its Executive Committee meeting of 9-10 March, the ETUC adopted a resolution, summarizing the proposals for revision that are deemed urgent.

Said Catelene Passchier, Confederal Secretary of the ETUC: “Mobility of services and workers must be properly embedded in national and European rules, ensuring that the same rules apply to local and foreign companies active on the host country’s labour market, and no downward competition occurs on wages and working conditions. There are currently serious problems with regard to the side-effects of the internal market and the increased cross border mobility of companies, services and workers, which demand for urgent action to be taken as they are threatening social cohesion and the support of citizens and workers for the European project. The Posting Directive is an important EU instrument, but it should be revised to strengthen it and to allow it to better achieve its aims of guaranteeing fair competition and the respect for workers’ rights, while safeguarding the fundamental social rights of collective bargaining and collective action”

Posting Directive’s dossier