The International Road Transport Union (IRU), in cooperation with the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF), has been campaigning for clarity and standardisation in the implementation of the provisions of Mobility Package 1, in particular those relating to the posting of drivers within the European Union. These provisions have been in force for almost two years and require transport operators to comply with new rules when paying drivers posted to host countries.
However, a major challenge is the lack of clarity in national remuneration rules, says the IRU.
In response to this problem, the IRU and the ETF have jointly called on the European Commission to develop a standard wage calculation template. This template should provide a clear and uniform method for determining the remuneration of posted drivers and remove the ambiguity that currently exists in national rules.
According to the provisions of Mobility Package 1, drivers engaged in transport operations in EU Member States other than their employer’s Member State of origin are considered to be posted, with certain exceptions for specific situations such as bilateral transport and transit. The main requirement is that these posted drivers must be remunerated according to the standards of the host country for the time worked in that country.
Despite existing legal obligations binding transport operators and Member States, practical challenges remain, say the transport organisation, as road hauliers and drivers often find it difficult to understand and apply the complex and numerous national minimum wage provisions.
To address this issue, IRU and ETF have formally asked the European Commission in a letter to EU Commissioners Adina Vălean and Nicolas Schmit to provide Member States, operators and drivers with the necessary tools. Specifically, they have urged the Commission to provide templates, guidance and a calculator to facilitate the correct application of the rules on the posting of drivers’ remuneration.
“Employers owe an adequate remuneration to their workers for the time they work abroad. The simple question is: how much? Currently, in most cases, nobody knows with precision. Employers and employees are now looking at the European Commission’s leaders on transport and labour, Commissioners Vălean and Schmit, to shed light by providing the necessary calculator we all need,” said IRU EU Director Raluca Marian. “The previous Commission proposed Mobility Package 1 rules. We call upon the current Commission, before the end of their mandate, to close the gap and enable our sector to comply with the rules.”