On 1 and 2 April 2025, EBC represented SMEunited at the 5th Forum on the Posting of Workers organised by the European Labour Authority (ELA) in Bratislava, Slovakia. The event brought together representatives from Member States’ Labour Ministries, national authorities, and European social partners to discuss developments related to labour mobility and the posting of workers.
The European Commission and ELA opened the Forum by highlighting key policy updates, including the January launch of the Competitiveness Compass, and the March announcement of the Union of Skills, aiming to address labour and skills shortages. Additionally, both mentioned that the Intra-EU Mobility Report 2024 noted 5.5 million portable documents (PD A1) issued for posted workers, reflecting continued growth in mobility.
ELA presented several updates on its work, including recent trainings for national social partners, the development of its online Learning Platform covering labour law in the context of posting, and advancements under its IMI programme.
Throughout the Forum, important topics for the construction sector were addressed. Discussions explored the findings of the Peer Learning Dialogues (PLD) on posted temporary agency workers, with Member States and social partners sharing national experiences. ELA shared that they are currently conducting a mapping exercise for temporary work agencies.
Subcontracting liability was another major topic, with ELA presenting preliminary survey results and outlining plans for further dialogues involving sectoral partners. ELA is planning to organise two PLDs on the topic in 2025. During the discussion, EFBWW underlined the role of social partners and emphasised that abusive subcontracting practices remains a priority concern for social partners in the construction sector. ELA made the request for construction social partners to be actively involved in these upcoming activities.
The Forum also addressed the issue of bogus self-employment in the context of posting, followed by a discussion on ELA’s ongoing work related to the application of Directive 2018/957. This included initial steps towards the development of a remuneration calculator tool. The project will begin with a limited number of volunteering countries, focusing on available national data and existing statistical systems.
Further exchanges were held on social security coordination, covering efforts to tackle fraud and error, improve cross-border cooperation, and raise awareness through training. ELA also announced the launch of a communication campaign on social security coordination planned for 2025. Additionally, ELA presented updates on the posting of third country nationals, including the upcoming release of a handbook on national practices and the development of an online platform to support member States and sharing information. Finally, a discussion on cooperation in labour mobility took place, focusing on the findings of the ELA report on bilateral and multilateral agreements.
The Forum concluded with final remarks from both the European Commission and ELA, underlining the importance of continued collaboration on fair and effective labour mobility in the EU. EBC remains committed to contributing to discussions on labour mobility and the posting of workers in the construction sector.
Photo credit: European Labour Authority (ELA)
