Brussels, 26/03/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 25 March, the Commissioner for Transport,
Violeta Bulc, explained that she was still “unable to provide a precise answer” regarding the legality of applying the German minimum wage to foreign road haulage drivers travelling through the country. During a plenary in Brussels, she answered a question from Marita Ulvskog (S&D, Sweden), who wanted clarification about the subject and the measures the Commission intended to take to protect the social rights of road hauliers.
Bulc said that her services were still examining the explanation sent by the German government (see EUROPE 11266) and explained “the legal assessment is complex because it has to take into account the European treaties, as well as several texts, such as the one on posted workers”. Moreover, she also said that, “this question needs to be examined in the context of road transport liberalisation”. She is also looking at the social measures contained in the “road package” planned for 2016 (see EUROPE 11275).
MEPs had a lengthy debate on the application of the minimum wage for transiting drivers, during which divisions at a national level came to the fore. Within the S&D group, Jutta Steinruck (S&D, Germany) said that she supported this minimum wage, contrary to Bogus³aw Liberadzki from Poland. Speaking on behalf of the EPP, Marian-Jean Marinescu (Romania) took a firm position against it, as did David Casa from Malta, who remained very cautious. Richard Sulik (ECR, Slovakia) described the German practice as “a violation of single market rules” whilst those in the GUE/NGL and Greens/EFA called for the fight against social dumping to be stepped up. Gesine Meissner (ALDE, Germany) said that the German government had “made a mistake”. (Jean Comte)