On Wednesday 14 September, the European Parliament recommended that all EU member states should have a minimum wage equivalent to at least 60% of the national average wage: the non-legislative resolution to promote measures tackling "social dumping" was passed by 458 votes to 199, with 34 abstentions.
Although there is still no consensus on the definition of "social dumping", the EP rapporteur, Guillaume Balas (S&D, France), expressed his delight during the debate on Tuesday ahead of the vote and stated: "We have now got an agreement that says there is a raft of illegal and abusive practices that has seriously undermined the dignity of workers". He was delighted that he had managed to overcome the different political divergences. To obtain this consensus, he did, nonetheless, have to sacrifice some of his initial demands and remain neutral in the current debate on the revision of the 1996 directive on the posting of workers (see EUROPE 11594).
In the form in which it has been adopted, the resolution suggests three areas of action: strengthening monitoring and coordination between and by member states; tackling regulatory shortcomings to ensure labour and social law is respected at both national and European levels and uphold the principle of equal treatment and non-discrimination; promoting social convergence upwards. Driven by the EPP and ALDE Groups, emphasis was placed largely on illegal practices and the need to monitor respect for existing legislation.
The EP is, however, committed to promoting three concrete measures that stand out from the others. It would like to set up a European road transport agency. This sector, as well as the construction sector, is where most cases of "social dumping" have been detected. It would also like a blacklist which, according to the words used by Mr Balas, would ensure that companies that have "been seriously failing can no longer seek contracts that it would be dangerous to award to them". Finally, the EP said that it supported a national minimum wage of around 60% of the average wage, in an effort to ensure continued upward convergence within the Union. (Original version in French by Jan Kordys)