EU Member States welcomed the guidelines on seasonal workers presented by the European Commission at an informal Employment and Social Policy meeting on Friday 17 July and reiterated the importance of ensuring comprehensive and effective social security as well as the best possible health and safety conditions.
During a joint working session on seasonal workers, moderated by the German Federal Minister for Labour and Social Affairs, Hubertus Heil, and in the presence of the European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, Nicolas Schmit, most of the national delegations welcomed the clarifications made by the European Commission to protect seasonal workers (see EUROPE 12529/9).
During the discussions, the importance of the future role of the European Labour Authority was mentioned in order to better monitor the mobility of seasonal workers. The possibility of drawing up a “black list” of economic operators whose practices do not comply with European law was mentioned.
Other delegations stressed the importance for European workers and entrepreneurs that the Authority should set up a very clear website containing all the European rules in force on worker mobility. This is because one of the problems of seasonal workers is the lack of access to information on their rights, which is one of the main points of the European Commission’s recent guidelines.
In general, no national minister or high representative called for a binding EU initiative to strengthen the protection of seasonal workers.
Three thematic groups
The format developed by the German Presidency of the EU Council consisted of two stages. The meeting started with a plenary session, where the social partners, economist Mariana Mazzucato, the Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, and the German Federal Minister for Labour and Social Affairs spoke about the Recovery Plan negotiated by the Member States on the same day (see other news).
The Member States were then divided into three thematic groups headed by a minister from the Presidency trio (Germany, Portugal and Slovenia): a first group on the contribution of social security systems to a successful economic recovery, a second on health and safety at work and a third on seasonal workers.
In the first group dedicated to social security systems, the ministers present discussed how access to social protection could be extended to cover atypical forms of employment. Negotiations on the regulation on the coordination of social security systems are not said to have been discussed (see EUROPE 12529/27).
As for the second group, the ministers talked about the new forms of work that have emerged during the pandemic, such as teleworking, which present as many opportunities as risks.
The various studies will feed into the conclusions to be adopted at the Employment and Social Policy Council on 13 October, in all likelihood. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)