Remunicipalisation, Migration, Privatisation, Portugal, Europe

The ETUC has welcomed the vote by the European Parliament to support changes to the posted workers' directive. The changes were negotiated between the Parliament, European Commission and Council and now the Directive can be used to guarantee that posted workers get the same pay rates as locally employed workers. The ETUC concedes that there was a significant compromise in the exclusion of road transport workers but identified this and the need to ensure application through the sub-contracting chain as issues to be taken up in future.

The Eurofound research agency has published its first major overview of trends in the eldercare sector noting the spread of private provision in some parts of Europe and the challenge to maintain adequate levels of public funding. A section of the report addresses employment issues, notably staffing levels, the education and training of staff and wages. There are examples of staffing ratios from eight countries and some indicators of pay (public and private) from seven countries and the study notes overall that personal carers' pay falls into to the bottom 40% of pay (two lowest quintiles).

(January 2017) Last month the European Economic and Social Committee gave its backing in principle to the European Commission's proposed recast of the Posted Workers Directive. It noted in particular how the concept of "remuneration" might help ensure equal pay for equal work but on time limits suggested six rather than 24 months. The ETUC is coordinating lobbying work around the Directive which is being discussed in the European Parliament's Employment Committee with a deadline for amendments of 9 February.