Acts of solidarity by social partners

What is the subproject about?

Social Partnership

The Institute for Labour and Economy (iaw) leads the sub-project that examines the current events concerning the establishment of a European minimum wage as well as initiatives to support mobile workers (posted workers on the basis of the freedom to provide services), such as the cooperation project "fair mobility".

The EU commission recently put forward a proposal for a European minimum wage which is a fundamental step further in the advancement of the European Pillar of Social Rights:

„What we propose today is a framework for minimum wages, in full respect of national traditions and the freedom of social partners. Improving working and living conditions will not only protect our workers, but also employers that pay decent wages, and create the basis for a fair, inclusive and resilient recovery.”

(Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission)

In this context, we scrutinize interactions of associations in various industries with the aim to analyze existing coalitions, limitations or boundaries between national, regional and transnational actors.

What is the aim of the subproject?

The subproject aims at uncovering the interactions between the respective camps of employers and unions that are responsible for the regulation and implementation of a European minimum wage. Furthermore, in this project we aim to map existing cooperation in connection with the implementation of the posted workers directive.

Therefore, the following research questions are addressed:

  1. What positions are being taken in the current discourse on the design of a European minimum wage regulation and how are the transnational contacts and networks within and between the different social partners at sectoral level?
  2. What concrete cooperation initiatives exist for the implementation of the (latest) Posting of Workers Directive and for the counseling and representation of posted workers?
  3. What are the preconditions for transnational solidarity-based action? What are the restrictions?

How will the project be implemented?

For the implementation of this project, the project team will:

  1. Analyse the positions and networks of the social partners in connection with the European minimum wage standard and the Posting of Workers Directive
  2. Conduct expert interviews in five European sending and receiving countries (Bulgaria, Poland, Spain, Sweden and Germany). This will facilitate the analysis of the conditions for success of transnational cooperation initiatives and projects regarding the implementation of existing legal standards for posted workers. These interviews will be analysed focusing on the motives and conditions for the emergence of transnational solidarity initiatives.

If you would like to collaborate with us and/or need further information, please contact PD. Dr. Irene Dingeldey or Dr. Ilana Nussbaum Bitran