The EFBWW launched its updated policy paper on subcontracting in an event in the European Parliament organised with the Socialists and Democrats Group - Abusive Subcontracting in Construction and Possible Ways Forward
The EFBWW launched its subcontracting campaign in 2020 to address the widespread use of abusive subcontracting practices in the construction sector. In its first phase, the campaign focused on raising awareness among policymakers at both EU and national levels. A key milestone was the first successful EU demonstration in Brussels in June 2024, bringing attention to the urgent need for action.
With the European elections in 2024, the campaign entered its second phase under the banner ‘Vote for #LimitSubcontracting’, directly challenging political groups to take a position on subcontracting.
This phase saw continued mobilisation, including another demonstration in Strasbourg in September 2024, organised together with EFFAT and ETF. EFBWW also brought subcontracted migrant workers’ testimonies to the European Parliament.
This led to the organisation of a hearing with Executive Vice President Mînzatu on abusive subcontracting in the European Parliament at the plenary of December 2024. As a result, limiting abusive subcontracting is now recognised as a central issue in the fight for quality jobs.
The European Parliament is now working on an own-initiative report on abusive subcontracting and labour intermediaries, while Commissioner Mînzatu has signalled her intention to include the topic in the Quality Jobs Roadmap and a new Labour Mobility Package. Subcontracting is now a core topic in the multi-annual work programme for social dialogue in construction with FIEC.
The campaign is now moving into its third phase: pushing for precise and concrete legislation.
EFBWW is calling for an ambitious EU Subcontracting Package that would introduce binding legislation to effectively limit subcontracting, ban temporary work agencies and other intermediaries in posting with effective and dissuasive penalties. These measures are essential for creating a sustainable internal market based on quality jobs and fair competition. In turn, this would make the construction sector more attractive to workers, helping to address labour shortages.
The European Commission has announced its intention to focus on simplification. EFBWW wants to explicitly underline that limiting subcontracting and promoting direct jobs would significantly simplify construction site management, benefiting businesses, enforcement authorities and workers alike.
Today, many workers on construction sites do not even know WHO’S THE BOSS.
Digital enforcement tools must also play a role in this. EFBWW supports sectoral social ID cards, an individual social security number for mobile workers and interconnected EU-wide business registers.
The construction sector has been advocating for these measures for over a decade, and they must now be implemented as part of an effective enforcement strategy.
This updated policy document outlines EFBWW’s proposals for coordinated, legislative action across 10 priority areas. The time to act is now.
- Limits on subcontracting
- No public money for exploitation
- Ban agencies and other intermediaries in posting
- Full joint and several liability acroos the whole subcontracting chain
- Effective enforcement
- Mandatory Due Diligence
- Empower trade union representatives and European Works Councils
- Social protection for all workers
- Guaranteed Occupational Health and Safety Standards
- Same work, same rights, same salary