The two co-legislative bodies of the European Union, Council of Europe and European Parliamentmanaged to turn it off this morning interim political agreement more than one new directive wanting to encourage “sufficient minimum wage” To provide decent living conditions for all workers, regardless of the EU country in which they live.
new regulations does not set a common minimum amountneither compel governments to impose interprofessional minimum wages, but mechanisms for upward review of salaries Y reduce inequalities. Once approved – and transposed into national legislation – it will apply to all European workers with a contract or employment relationship, although in countries where the minimum wage is maintained by the following means. Collective agreements They won’t have to come in.
Currently 21 of 27 member states legal minimum wageranging from 332 Euros per month from Bulgaria and 2,202 Euros from Luxembourg. However, in six countries –Denmark, Italy, Cyprus, Austria, Finland and Sweden– maintaining the minimum wage, collective bargainingIt’s a system that the European Commission sees as the key to raising higher wages.
Strengthen collective bargaining
The agreement reached by the Parliament and the Council strengthen collective bargaining sectoral and interprofessional. Member states where less than 80% of workers are protected by collective bargaining will have action plans to gradually increase this coverage. That’s a more ambitious target than the one originally set by governments, which agreed on a 70% percent over their joint stance last December, when Denmark and Hungary voted against and Austria and Germany abstained.
They will also need to involve the social partners in formulating their strategy, inform the Commission about the measures taken and make the plan public. “It is clear that the Danish system and others with similar systems will not be affected. Danes will neither abolish nor replace their collective bargaining system. We say to the Danish people and Danish employers that your system is excellent. Part of the directive is to encourage and strengthen the collective bargaining system. Where it works well, we do not want to weaken it. “, explained the employment commissioner, Nicholas Schmit questioned the situation in Denmark.
National assessments
this new rules They also determine that member states will have to assess whether they are fulfilling their responsibilities. current legal minimum wage -the lowest wage allowed by law- sufficient provide a good standard of livingtaking into account their own socio-economic conditions, purchasing power or national level of productivity and long-term development. They can set up a facility to do this. basket of goods and services at real prices and apply internationally widely used indicative criteria such as 60% of median gross salary and 50% of median earnings. As for deductions or changes in the minimum wage, they must be non-discriminatory, proportionate and have a legitimate aim, such as the recovery of overpaid amounts or deductions ordered by a judicial or administrative authority.
Apolitically sanestill need to be formally approved by both institutions, and transposed Within two years, one of the twenty-seven Member States had a system of monitoring, controls and reliable controls In the field to ensure compliance and combat abusive subcontracting, fraudulent self-employment, unregistered overtime or escalation of work. In addition, national authorities must guarantee: right of appeal takes necessary measures to protect workers, workers and union representatives whose rights have been violated.