Hundreds converge on European Parliament to protest over subcontracted workers

September 17, 2024
By Guest Contributor - Opinion

More than 700 workers “united” on Tuesday (17 September) in front of the European Parliament, Strasbourg, France, to call upon the EU institutions for urgent action to stop exploitation in subcontracting chains and labour intermediation, writes Martin Banks.

The European action was organised by the EFBWW (European Federation of Building and Woodworkers), EFFAT (the European Federation of Food, Agriculture and Tourism Trade Unions), and ETF (European Transport Workers’ Federation).

They said the aim was to demand an EU-binding initiative to limit subcontracting and regulate labour intermediation, including a ban of agencies in posting, and to bolster the frequency and effectiveness of labour inspections.

Following the demonstration, a hearing inside the European Parliament took place.

The event focused on testimonies from workers affected by exploitative subcontracting practices and unscrupulous intermediaries and had the participation of MEPs from the S&D, the Left, the EPP, RE, and Greens/EFA.

EFBWW General Secretary, Tom Deleu: “On the day in which the president of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, unveils the portfolios of the new commissioners, workers from all over Europe gathered to put workers’ rights at the top of the European agenda.

“The EU cannot ignore what is happening with posted, migrant and third country nationals. In construction, we witness high levels of exploitation, fraud, and other labour abuses, especially in a cross-border context. Subcontracting is always a major risk factor.

“We need to break the chain of exploitation. The new European Commission and the new European Parliament must act urgently, limit subcontracting and ban intermediaries in posting.”

ETF General Secretary Livia Spera said: “Subcontracting takes different forms in transport, with similar patterns observed across Europe.

“Today, subcontracted workers are often second-class citizens with lower working conditions and rights. We are asking EU rules to regulate subcontracting to reestablish fairness.”

EFFAT General Secretary Kristjan Bragason said: “Abusive subcontracting practices and unregulated labour intermediation are two structural issues of an exploitative business model which is increasingly dominating many sectors of the economy. Migrant and mobile workers are the main victims. Today a strong message goes to the EU institutions. It is time for urgent EU action to ensure real equal treatment at the workplace.”

The European Federation of Building and Woodworkers (EFBWW) is the European Workers’ Industry Federation for the building sector, woodworking, forestry and allied industries and trades.

The EFBWW has 80 affiliated unions in 36 countries and represents a total of 1.5 million members. The EFBWW is a member organisation of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC).