site.btaPosted Workers Directive Revision Will Boost Income of Bulgarians Working Abroad - Trade Union

Sofia, March 16 (BTA) - The revision of the Posted Workers Directive will increase the income of many Europeans, including of Bulgarian citizens working abroad, the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB) said in a position circulated on Friday. The position backs the decisions of the latest Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council meeting at which political agreement was reached on a revision of the Directive.

"The reform is positive because it regulates the equal pay principle in the hosting Member State and the observance of all collective agreements (including sector-level agreements), as well as the refund of travel expenses in case of fictitious posting," the CITUB commented.

The Confederation has always insisted that the Directive should ensure the labour rights of workers posted in the framework of the provision of services.

On the other hand, the CITUB and the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) find that the exclusion of road transport from the new directive until the adoption of special legislation is a defect. Certain acquisitions, such as the mandatory payment of per diem supplements, would differentiate road transport drivers from the rest of the posted workers. Nevertheless, the CITUB acknowledges the political consensus on the Directive as a success of its two-year efforts, together with the ETUC, for a revision of the regulatory framework for fair pay of cross-border workers.

The Confederation calls on the Bulgarian Members of the European Parliament to approve the early March 2018 agreement on amendments to the Posted Workers Directive which ensures full equal pay of posted workers in Europe.