On 15 March 2023, the European Labour Authority (ELA) organised a thematic meeting on the posting of workers in the construction sector, in the context of its Working Group on Information. The meeting was held in hybrid format, with participants attending both in person on ELA headquarters in Bratislava, Slovakia and online. ELA has chosen the construction sector as the priority sector for its work programme for 2023.
Representatives of Member States’ Labour Ministries and competent authorities, trade unions, and employers had the opportunity to exchange on a number of issues touching upon posting in construction. The meeting revolved around the deliberations from the previous Working Group on Information that took place in December 2022.
The meeting was structured in three parts, with the first focusing on the various aspects of ELA information campaign on the posting of workers in the construction sector currently under way. An assessment of the channels of information to reach posted workers performed via a study commissioned through the INFO-POW project was presented in the second part, with an information event for employers envisaged. EBC and its Belgian member Bouwunie are both associated partners to this project funded by the European Social Fund+ (Social Prerogatives and Specific Competencies Lines) and running until February 2024.
In the last part of the meeting, ELA’s plan for the construction sector was presented, accompanied by an update on the ELA report “Construction sector: issues in information provision, enforcement of labour mobility law, social security coordination regulations, and cooperation between Member States”, to be finalised by May 2023. Last but not least, an update on ELA’s call for good practices 2023 was given, which focusses on “Construction and Preventing social security fraud”.
EBC participated to the meeting and contributed to the discussions, noting its willingness to make the link between ELA and construction SMEs and crafts. EBC will continue to follow and contribute to the work of ELA on posting of workers and beyond, notably during this year dedicated to construction.