challenging the supposed east - west devide on the services directive
Addressing journalists at an event organised by the European Trade Union Conference (ETUC), the Presidents of the Polish trade union Solidarność and of EAKl, the Estonian association of trade unions, said the IMCO vote carried with it the risk of social dumping throughout the EU and of bringing labour market standards down to the lowest level.
Solidarność President Janusz Śniadek said his trade union was in favour of an internal market for services, but the draft adopted by the Parliament created many new problems. He said the country of origin principle in the directive would lead to legal chaos among member states and would make control and monitoring impossible. "We are still missing a clear definition of what a worker and what a self-employed person is," Mr. Śniadek said. "The present approach opens the door to fictional self-employment, which in most cases amounts to social dumping."
Harri Taliga of EAKI said trade unions from all new member states thought opposing the country of origin principle was "an investment in the future". While the disputed principle might look more advantageous for workers from the East now, this would no longer be the case once social and economic standards between east and west have levelled.
ETUC Secretary General John Monks conceded the IMCO position was still better than the Commission’s draft. He pointed out that amendments by the rapporteur, German PSE MEP Evelyn Gebhardt, went a long way toward meeting trade unions’ concerns. However the changes adopted by IMCO were not sufficient to make the directive acceptable.
ETUC announced a major demonstration to take place in Strasbourg on the day of the Plenary vote on the Services Directive. A decision on that date is expected by mid-December.
ETUC press conference with presidents of Solidarnosc, Poland, and of EAKI, the Estonian association of trade unions - challenging the supposed east - west devide on the services directive
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