Luxembourg, 20/06/2013 (Agence Europe) - The vote was very close (20 in favour, 18 against and six abstentions) but the European Parliament established its position, on Thursday 20 June, on the way in which the directive on posted workers will have to be reviewed. The Council is still currently stumbling on two points - which have also divided MEPs over the course of the negotiations on the amendments.
MEPs from the employment and social affairs committee decided in the end that sub-contractors should be legally responsible in situations where posted workers are used - in the same way that companies which employ workers directly are. In its initial proposal, the Parliament's rapporteur, Danuta Jazlowiecka (EPP, Poland), was nevertheless not in favour of this joint and several liability, as the European Commission had proposed. On another crucial point, still under bitter discussion at the Council, the MEPs also went against the rapporteur's opinion and voted in favour of the Commission's position on the nature of the list of control measures. This list should be open - leaving the choice to the member states on the measures to be applied. In both cases, it was the proposals of the S&D Group that were carried. (JK/transl.fl)