The EFBWW welcomes the commitment to quality jobs, skills, and social fairness, expressed by the Commissioner-designate for People, Skills and Preparedness, Roxana Minzatu. We follow the priorities mentioned with the goal of ensuring a fair transition and protecting workers, with decent wages and fair working conditions, with strong social dialogue, collective bargaining, and recognition of skills. We recognise that training of builders, electricians, and the other workers of our sectors is urgent and must be a top priority. However, to be successful the involvement of the sectoral social partners will be vital . The EFBWW is looking forward to an invitation to engage in a fruitful dialogue with the new Commissioner.
We applaud the announced commitment of the Commissioner-designate to finalise the ongoing (more than 6 years !) revision of Regulation 883 on the coordination of social security systems. We agree that progress has been made, but we insist that the construction sector needs a specific approach to better protect posted workers and ensure fair competition. EFBWW and FIEC, the sectoral social partners of the construction industry, urge the Commission to keep the mandatory prior notification for posting in construction, and to exclude the construction sector from the exemption for short posting periods and business trips.
In addition, we welcome the openness to strengthen the European Labour Authority (ELA) mandate. This is vital to combat fraud and increase enforcement in the Internal Market, and to better protect workers from unscrupulous companies.
Furthermore, we take note of the willingness to make legislation on hazardous substances more efficient and quicker. A top priority for the EFBWW is the missing legislation in the European legal framework for the screening and registration of asbestos. This piece of legislation is vital to protect workers: knowledge of the presence of asbestos is the first and most important prerequisite for the safe removal of any remaining asbestos.
However, we did expect to have firmer commitments in other areas. On the topic of subcontracting for instance. While we recognise that the Commissioner-designate is open to assess if changes are required, this is not enough. We stress the urgent need for a legislative proposal to limit subcontracting and ban intermediaries in posting. In its assessment of the current legislation, the Commission itself recognises the problems of long and complex subcontracting chains and their impact on exploitation of posted and migrant workers, including third country nationals. This proves that the current legislation is not enough to protect these workers. We need urgent action and the EFBWW is available to work with the new Commissioner on this.
Likewise, the EFBWW warns against the so-called EU Talent Pool, as it makes subcontracting chains more toxic by fitting in even more labour recruitment intermediaries, instead of banning them in posting. No criteria are foreseen to hold migrant work employers accountable in case of misconduct. This will open the door to a race-to-the-bottom for the working conditions of posted, migrant and third country workers.
Regarding public procurement, the EFBWW was expecting a stronger support to mandatory social conditionalities in public procurement. The lowest price cannot continue to be the main criterion for companies to win projects that involve large public investments. The principle is simple: no public money for exploitation.
The EFBWW is ready to engage in an open and constructive dialogue with the Commissioner-designate on all these topics and to discuss building blocks for a Quality Jobs agenda in the construction, wood, furniture, and related industries.
Photo of Roxana Minzatu: European Parliament