Today in Official Journal of the European Union: Directive concerning the posting of workers in the framework of the provision of services
Today, July, 9, it has been published in the Official Journal of the European Union the Directive (EU) 2018/957 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 June 2018 amending Directive 96/71/EC concerning the posting of workers in the framework of the provision of services.
According to the text, the principle of equal treatment and the prohibition of any discrimination on grounds of nationality have been enshrined in Union law since the founding Treaties. The principle of equal pay has been implemented through secondary law not only between women and men, but also between workers with fixed term contracts and comparable permanent workers, between part-time and full-time workers and between temporary agency workers and comparable workers of the user undertaking. Those principles include the prohibition of any measures which directly or indirectly discriminate on grounds of nationality. In applying those principles, the relevant case-law of the Court of Justice of the European Union is to be taken into consideration.
Posted workers who are temporarily sent from their regular place of work in the host Member State to another place of work, should receive at least the same allowances or reimbursement of expenditure to cover travel, board and lodging expenses for workers away from home for professional reasons that apply to local workers in that Member State. The same should apply as regards the expenditure incurred by posted workers required to travel to and from their regular place of work in the host Member State. Double payment of travel, board and lodging expenses should be avoided.
Posting is temporary in nature. Posted workers usually return to the Member State from which they were posted after completion of the work for which they were posted. However, in view of the long duration of some postings and in acknowledgment of the link between the labour market of the host Member State and the workers posted for such long periods, where posting lasts for periods longer than 12 months host Member States should ensure that undertakings which post workers to their territory guarantee those workers an additional set of terms and conditions of employment that are mandatorily applicable to workers in the Member State where the work is carried out. That period should be extended where the service provider submits a motivated notification.
Entry into force
This Directive shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. Nevertheless, Member States shall adopt and publish, by 30 July 2020, the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with this Directive. They shall immediately communicate the text of those measures to the Commission.
They shall apply those measures from 30 July 2020. Until that date, Directive 96/71/EC shall remain applicable in its wording prior to the amendments introduced by this Directive.
When Member States adopt those measures, they shall contain a reference to this Directive or shall be accompanied by such reference on the occasion of their official publication. The methods of making such reference shall be laid down by Member States.
Click here to access the full text of the new Directive. And remember if you have workers in Spain or if you are thinking about forming a company in Spain, don´t hesitate to contact our team of experts.