Brussels, 25/01/2013 (Agence Europe) - It is because for fear that the measures aimed at providing a framework for posted workers in the EU are inadequate and cannot prevent social dumping in many sectors, that nearly 4,000 workers marched through the European district of Brussels during a demonstration on Wednesday 23 January. The 1996 directive, which is not applied to its full extent, is under review, with the outcome due this year (see EUROPE 10761).
The call to demonstrate was launched by the European Federation of Building and Wood Workers (FETBB), the European Federation of Transport Workers (EFT), and the European Trade Union Federation for Agricultural, Food and Hotel Sectors (EFFAT). On the sidelines of the demonstration, the trade unions were able to meet Commissioner Laszlo Andor (Employment). Their meeting did not, however, reassure them as they consider that the Commission's proposal is too weak, according to Patrick Itschert, the deputy general secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), cited by AFP. It is, therefore, that nothing will change that is the greatest fear of trade unions as European labour market policy, that is currently applied according to principles established, is no longer effective and harms the credibility of the European project, claims the FETBB. (JK/transl.jl)