Posted workers are often worse off than the locals - the EP is debating new rules to enforce certain minimum terms and conditions of employment.

Competitiveness v. social dumping

People who are paid in their own country  to do a job in another,

a practice that's especially common  in the construction sector.

Their situation is vulnerable to abuses,

as Belgium’s Director-General  of Labour Inspection confirms.

These inspections have confronted us  with a negative situation.

When you see that  more than 33% of posted workers

aren't in a situation that respects  the minimum provisions of Belgian law,

you can ask whether  this text is effective.

The debate has been taken up again  by the Employment Committee.

The objective is to strengthen the legislative  framework on the posting of workers.

There are already more than one million  posted workers in the EU,

and some see in them  a real tool for fighting the crisis.

This is a huge movement  around the Member States,

because this possibility  reduces the cost of the project

and improves and gives the possibility  to establish new working places,

There are at least five  or six other Member States

with deep concerns about the proposal  as currently framed by the Commission.

Some want to see it strengthened,  some weakened.

So we've got deep disagreements  in both Council and EP, I’m afraid.

The specialists on the ground hope to win  tools for a more efficient supervision.

Above all, this regulation should  allow for, or encourage,

much more cooperation  between the Member States

in order to exchange information  in an efficient, useful way.

If I request information from a Member  State and receive it four months later,

the work is done, the people have left,  and my efficiency is zero.

Posted workers will be on  the Council's agenda on 6 December.

And a vote in the EP  is planned for February.

Paris, among other capitals,  is keen to see the matter settled

before the end of the Irish Presidency  next summer.