Leaders say EU must find agreement on posted workers directive

The prime ministers of Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia and the president of France said at a joint news conference after a meeting in Salzburg on Wednesday that the EU should find agreement by October on the form of a directive on so-called posted workers. France’s Emmanuel Macron said expert teams would discuss the contentious issue in the coming weeks.

The French and Austrian leaders said the period under which posted workers – who work temporarily in another EU state – can stay abroad and still pay social contributions in their home country should be reduced from two years to one.

However, the Czech Republic and Slovakia want the field of road transport exempted from the EU’s future directive.

Prior to Wednesday’s meeting Czech PM Bohuslav Sobotka said the Visegrad Four states wished to see good conditions for their hauliers.

Stricter conditions on posted workers would impact truck drivers from former Eastern Bloc states who are deployed in Western parts of Europe.