Brussels, 29/06/2012 (Agence Europe) - The “home base” is the key notion of the new European rules that took effect on Thursday 28 June concerning airline flight personnel. Henceforth, air hostesses, stewards and pilots will have to make social security contributions in the country where they take up and complete their service.
This change in the rules closes the door on what some used to call “social dumping” in the air transport sector. From now on, social security contributions should be paid in the country where the flight personnel works and not depending on the nationality of the airline they work for. In order to bring these new rules into effect, the workers concerned must make a formal request to their company. If they fail to do so, the current situation will last another ten years.
The new provisions also concern cross-border workers who are not employees. Should there be no unemployment insurance scheme in the country where they reside, the responsibility of paying indemnities will fall to the country of the last post held. (JK/transl.jl)