EU Employment Ministers today agreed a ‘general approach’ on the Regulation establishing a European Labour Authority (ELA).
This now means the final regulation to set up the Authority will be negotiated in trialogue discussions between national government officials, MEPs and the European Commission.
ELA will improve the implementation of workers’ rights across the EU single market by fighting abuses in and improving enforcement of EU labour law and social security law: for example, by fighting fake posting and tackling social security contribution avoidance by employers of workers working in one EU country and living in another.
“The vote of the Council on the general approach is a very positive step” said Liina Carr, Confederal Secretary at the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC). “We now need trialogues to start as soon as possible.
“The regulation agreed by Ministers needs improving in negotiations with MEPs. We will be pressing for, amongst other things, employers and trade unions right to directly submit claims to the ELA, to considerably improve their involvement in the governance of the Authority and to have a proper safeguard provision for social partners autonomy and right to take industrial action, like in the revised Posting of Workers Directive.”