Spidla attends conference on free movement of workers

The free movement of labour is much more important than many other freedoms within the EU, the European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, and Equal Opportunities Vladimir Spidla said on Thursday. Mr Spidla was speaking at a conference hosted by the permanent representation of the Czech Republic to the European Union in Brussels. Mr Spidla, a former Czech prime minister, said the EU was on the right track to have all of its labour markets open by 2011.

Using the example of the Czech Republic, where the average hourly wage is over a third higher than in neighbouring Slovakia, Mr Spidla tried to refute claims that an open labour market will lead to an influx of cheap labour. The number of workers from Slovakia seeking better paid jobs in the Czech Republic has remained at a constant 60,000, Mr Spidla argued.

Author: Dita Asiedu