Member States are continuing to negotiate on the directive on adequate minimum wages in the EU and would continue to seek to make its provisions more flexible. This is what a recent compromise by the Slovenian Presidency of the EU Council, dated 13 September, and information gleaned on Friday 17 September, suggest.
According to two sources, the delegations continue to follow the path of the Portuguese Presidency of the EU Council (see EUROPE 12740/15) and weaken the binding scope of the directive (symbolised by the change of the title of the legal text to a “framework” for adequate minimum wages), while further entrenching national wage setting models based on collective bargaining.
Discussions are now focusing on the objective of having a collective bargaining coverage of at least 70%, as proposed by the European Commission. Some Member States would like to see this target become a simple recommendation, a source told us. National delegations will discuss the legislative text again in working groups on Monday 20 September and Tuesday 21 September.
In the European Parliament, the legislative text should be voted on at the end of October in the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL). The vote in plenary session would be scheduled for November or December at the latest.
On the Parliament side
Although discussions between political groups have been difficult, Parliament aims to strengthen the text, particularly on the target of 90% coverage of collective agreements. These also strengthen the trade union dimension and the co-rapporteurs seem inclined to include the basket of goods and services (food, housing, health, transport, etc.) when estimating the level of minimum wages in the Member States.
For the Slovenian Presidency’s compromise text: https://bit.ly/3AfsvzH
To consult the compromise text of 7 July: https://bit.ly/3ra3FxD
To read the progress report by the previous Portuguese Presidency of the EU Council: https://bit.ly/3xks59f (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)