Contact us T +32 (0)2 626 07 20 | info@europeangreens.eu

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • Flickr

Donate

  • Login to your account
  • User account
  • About Us
    • Organisation
    • People
    • Networks and Working Groups
    • Guidelines
  • Our Positions
    • Positions
    • Resolutions
    • Policy Papers
    • Manifesto
  • Member Parties
  • News
    • News
    • Press Releases
    • Brand Assets
    • Communications Team
  • Events
Home
  • About Us
  • Our Positions
  • Member Parties
  • News
  • Events
  • Positions
    • Foreign and Security Policy
    • Europe and Democracy
    • Climate and Energy
    • Economy and Jobs
    • Human Rights and Migration
    • Social Justice and Health
    • Environment and Food
  • Resolutions
  • Policy Papers
  • Manifesto

We need to stop “social dumping” on European roads

Share
Share on FacebookShare on Twittershare on Linked Inshare on Google Plusshare via email

EGP Resolution adopted at Utrecht Council, 20-22 May 2016 (available to download in .pdf in DE, EN, ES, FR, IT)

Freight transport is commonly facing an issue of "social dumping", a term often misused in a discriminatory way, to define cheaper labor leading to unfair competition. This issue is actually exploitation of workers and violation of their rights. 

When the EU has to negotiate a new mobility package and a road transport package over the next few years, we need to step up workers protection, namely strengthen the rules, improve control and harden sanctions in the European road freight transport sector. Far too many Eastern European lorry drivers are exploited by employers and are working under conditions far below the high-quality standards that should be applied and enforced throughout the countries where exploited lorry drivers are active, which is contributing towards unfair competition and social dumping.

The Danish Labour union 3F and the employer’s association DTL have conducted a survey among foreign workers in the transport sector in Denmark. The results show a serious weakness in EU legislation concerning level of payment, cabotage, working conditions and living standards.

The pattern is clear: Eastern European wage laborers are being exploited in order to undercut the transportation industry in north west Europe. And there are clear signals that social dumping and unfair competition constitute a serious threat to the transport sector and the labour market in Europe.

In the end, this development will harm all the workers of the transport sector across Europe, if the EU does not take action. There is a need to act fast. In recent years Denmark, France, Sweden, Finland, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands and Belgium have taken a number of different national measures aimed at counteracting social dumping in the transport sector. This trend will continue unless common solutions are found. 

How can we instill change? 

We suggest that both the EU and national authorities should be encouraged to conduct similar surveys to reveal conditions in the transport sector and use the data collected as a basis for recommendations concerning national and EU legislation that needs to be adjusted or fundamentally changed.

We need more than a simple service check on the Combined Transport Directive, the cabotage rules and the rules on the posting of workers. All the existing sets of rules have glaring weaknesses because controls or sanctions are too weak. This is true both at the national level and at the European level. We need to fight letterbox companies and fraud to make it harder for fraudulent companies to bypass the rules. This needs to be combined with measures that structurally improve the working conditions of all workers to ensure high quality employment in the sector.

The EU have to deliver more rigid and more clearly defined rules so we can improve the possibilities for control and sanctions that can have a deterrent effect on businesses that circumvent the rules. Solutions should be discussed and devised at both national and EU level.

At times of the greatest climate challenges that humanity shall overcome, our stand against social dumping and unfair competition in the road transport industry shall occur simultaneously with support for incentives for a greener freight sector. 

In that perspective, combating social dumping is also a way to encourage cleaner modes of freight.

Related downloads:
AttachmentSize
PDF icon EN179.01 KB
PDF icon DE339.83 KB
PDF icon ES186.92 KB
PDF icon FR220.97 KB
PDF icon IT390.16 KB
Position:
Economy & Jobs

Recent News

Icon:
Title:

South Tyrolean Greens ‘Verdi-GrüneVërc’ join European Green family

Post date:
10 November 2019
Body:

The South Tyrolean Greens ‘Verdi-GrüneVërc’ were elected to become full members of the European Green Party in a vote today during our bi-annual Council* meeting being held in Tampere. They had been candidate members for the past two years.

Position:
Europe & Democracy
Icon:
Title:

The European Green Party elects new leadership and executive committee

Post date:
10 November 2019
Body:

Evelyne Huytebroeck and Thomas Waitz have been elected as the new European Green Party co-chairs following a vote by delegates gathered in Tampere, Finland on 10 November for our bi-annual Council meeting. They take over from Monica Frassoni and Reinhard Bütikofer who reach the end of their term.

Position:
Europe & Democracy
Icon:
Title:

Historic election victory: Swiss Greens make big gains in parliamentary elections

Post date:
21 October 2019
Body:

The Green wave continues to roll on in Switzerland this weekend in the latest in a string of victories for Green parties across Europe. We congratulate the Swiss Greens on this emphatic victory for Green values, which has stemmed the rise of a toxic far-right political narrative.

Position:
Europe & Democracy

More News

Follow us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • Flickr
Tweet Contents:

RT @tilt_green: Let's:
❌ stop subsidising fossil fuel companies with our money
☀️ boost investments into a carbon-neutral economy
👩‍🎓 scien…

Tweet Author:
europeangreens
Creation Date:
55 min ago
Tweet Contents:

RT @BasEickhout: Hello COP25. https://t.co/SS48VnrukB

Tweet Author:
europeangreens
Creation Date:
57 min ago
Tweet Contents:

RT @FYEG: [THREAD] Follow #FYEGinAction this week and next at the #COP25 in Madrid 📢

We need clear plans and radical political action to s…

Tweet Author:
europeangreens
Creation Date:
58 min ago

Sign up to our newsletter

Change Europe, donate Green

Chip in today to help us build a Greener Europe!

Donate

  • Organisation
    • About
    • History
    • Councils
    • Congresses
    • Finance Advisory Board
    • Amendments Committee
    • Conciliation Panel
  • People
    • Committee
    • Team
    • Vacancies
    • Traineeships
  • Networks and Working Groups
    • Networks
      • Balkan
      • Gender
      • Tilt!
      • Queer
      • Local Councillors
      • Seniors
    • Working Groups
      • Foreign and Security Policy
      • Future of Europe
      • Trade
  • Guidelines
    • Charter
    • Statutes
    • Rulebook
    • Finances
    • Privacy Policy
  • Our Positions
    • Positions
    • Resolutions
    • Policy Papers
    • Manifesto
  • Member Parties
  • News
    • News
    • Press Releases
    • Brand Assets
    • Communications Team
  • Events
  • Campaigns
    • Fossil Fuel Divestment
  • Donate
Home

Rue Wiertz 31

B-1050 Brussels, Belgium

T +32 (0) 2 626 07 20

info@europeangreens.eu

cookies