PES transport ministers for fair treatment of Europe’s transport workers

PES transport ministers for fair treatment of Europe’s transport workers

Jörg Leichtfried, Austrian Minister for Transport, Technology and Innovation, and chairman of the network of PES transport ministers, said: 

“As socialist and social democratic transport ministers we call for transport workers to fall under the legislation of the country in which they carry out their professional activity. At the same time, we are aware that the needs of peripheral regions have to be taken into account.

“Social and wage dumping is one of the main reasons why our citizens lose trust in the European Union. We cannot allow people employed in the transport sector to be second order workers. Cross-border competition must not be carried out on the backs of drivers.

“I believe that transport workers should be covered by the general framework for posted workers which is currently under revision by the Council and the European Parliament.

“But even the best rules do not help if they are not properly implemented. This is why we also need to strengthen control measures to improve the enforcement of the principle of equal pay for equal work.”

The meeting was attended by:

  • Jörg Leichtfried, Chairman, Minister for Transport, Technology and Innovation, Austria
  • Ian Borg, Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects, Malta
  • Pedro Marques, Minister of Planning and Infrastructure, Portugal
  • Tomas Eneroth, Minister for Infrastructure, Sweden
  • Ismail Ertug, Member of the European Parliament, S&D Transport Committee Coordinator, SPD Germany