Following the last successful trilogue on the Directive "Adequate minimum wages in the EU", the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs votes on the provisional agreement that was reached, aiming to tackle in-work poverty and raise standards of living, foster collective bargaining, and enhance workers' rights to minimum wage protection. Votes and statements by Dennis RADTKE (EPP, DE) and Agnes JONGERIUS (S&D, NL), Rapporteurs.

Adequate minimum wages in the European Union: extracts from the votes and statements by Dennis RADTKE (EPP, DE) and Agnes JONGERIUS (S&D, NL), Rapporteurs

Title: Vote on Adequate minimum wages in the European Union: extracts from the vote and statements by Dennis RADTKE (EPP,DE) and by Agnes JONGERIUS (S&amp;D,NL), rapporteurs

Dennis RADTKE (EPP, DE), Rapporteur &amp; Agnes JONGERIUS (S&amp;D, NL), Rapporteur (2 shots)

Results of the vote: 44 votes - 33 + / 8 -

Ambiance shots after the announcement of the vote

SOUNDBITE (English), Dennis RADTKE (EPP, DE), Rapporteur, It's a historic day for the for the emperor committee here in the parliament, because we just adopted the outcome of the trialogue on the minimum wages directive and I think was a was a quite broad majority.

SOUNDBITE (English), Dennis RADTKE (EPP, DE), Rapporteur, There were a lot of rumours, a lot of talks where we have the same minimum wages from Sofia to Stockholm, from from Amsterdam to Berlin. And I can clearly say no, because it is not about the question to have one minimum wage for for Europe or telling Europe or the member states how to do the job. The main the main issue at the very heart of this directive is the question of collective bargaining coverage.

SOUNDBITE (English), Dennis RADTKE (EPP, DE), Rapporteur, More and more workers in the European Union are not protected by collective agreement. And in my understanding, this causes a lot of of problems because my personal belief is what is a fair wage? A proper wage is best defined by social partners who are close to the to the business, to the work that is done. And now we have an an aim, a legal aim of 80% coverage rate of collective agreements.

SOUNDBITE (English), Dennis RADTKE (EPP, DE), Rapporteur, I think it is it is necessary to try to have some some some guidelines, and especially when you see the current situation, the inflation crisis, what is happening with with with with the cost of living. So this is becoming a huge problem. So of course, we have two years time now for for implementing it into national law. But what we have done, of course, is very important also for the was a critical situation at the moment.

SOUNDBITE (English), Agnes JONGERIUS (S&amp;D, NL), Rapporteur, Shop assistants, people in the agricultural sector, parcel deliveries, all kinds of other workers will work hard, day and night, but still cannot make ends meet. They struggle to pay their bills. They have problems in sending their kids to school and new clothes. And I think it is high time that we say we see you. It's important work you do and you deserve a decent living. You deserve adequate minimum wage.

SOUNDBITE (English), Agnes JONGERIUS (S&amp;D, NL), Rapporteur, We are not pushing for a minimum wage which is adequate in each of the member states. So each of the member states have to revise and see if indeed their minimum wage is adequate. And we know already that for 24 million people in Europe, the minimum wage is not adequate. So we will benefit. Those workers will get a pay rise they long deserve.

SOUNDBITE (English), Agnes JONGERIUS (S&amp;D, NL), Rapporteur, We are asking the member states in this directive to assess their minimum wage and to see whether or not it's adequate to use, for instance, a basket of goods, of services to see if people can pay their bills and have some money for some extras or use an international and own standards which relate to the minimum wage, to the average wage in a country. And they have to report to Brussels whether or not their minimum wage is adequate. And if it isn't adequate, how they are going to raise the minimum wage to an adequate level.

SOUNDBITE (English), Agnes JONGERIUS (S&amp;D, NL), Rapporteur, If you look at this international used index, the so-called guide index, which relates minimum wage to average wages, that's in 23 of the 27 member states in Europe. The level is not at the adequate level. So for 23 member states, it's a work to be done to push for a higher minimum wage. And I allow myself to say it's high time that people get a higher minimum wage.

Adequate minimum wages in the European Union: extracts from the votes and statements by Dennis RADTKE (EPP, DE) and Agnes JONGERIUS (S&D, NL), Rapporteurs

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EMPL - Committee on Employment and Social Affairs