MEPs today voted to facilitate free movement of workers in Europe. The rules approved today aim to better protect European workers from discrimination by making sure that the same rights apply across borders.

GUE/NGL MEP Thomas Händel said: “Free movement of workers is an important fundamental right for people in the EU. So far, many obstacles have limited the freedom of movement including discrimination on the grounds of nationality.”

This Directive aims to facilitate voluntary mobility and promote equality in the workplace. “Workers are set to benefit from equal pay for equal work in the same place. This applies to all working conditions, and also for health and safety at work, as well as for trade union rights,” said Händel.

The GUE/NGL supported the policy, but also had some criticisms such as the fact that posted workers and workers from third countries are not covered in the text.

Händel said: “The Commission continues to maintain a hodgepodge of different policies for different groups of employees. That creates different social rights and working conditions, and opens the floodgates to wage and social dumping. We call for the application of the basic principle of 'equal pay for equal work in the same place for all'. That would be real progress towards a social Europe!”

GUE/NGL Press:

David Lundy +32 470 85 05 09

Emily Macintosh +32 470 85 05 08

Gay Kavanagh +32 473 84 23 20