One step closer to the minimum level of wage protection in EU

Subsequent to the joint agreement on the right to an adequate minimum wage (principle 6 of the European Pillar of Social Rights) in November 2017 and the proposal for a directive to improve the adequacy of minimum wages in the EU filed by the Commission in October 2021, on 11 November 2021 the Employment and Social Affairs Committee accepted the new draft EU law which will ensure a minimum level of wage protection in all Member States.

The draft law aims to guarantee decent living standards for workers and their families in EU. Accordingly, Member States have to assess and report on whether statutory minimum wages are sufficient by using criteria to put in place decent working and living conditions and include elements such as purchasing power and the poverty rate. The draft law also aims to strengthen and extend the coverage of collective bargaining and protect workers by providing them with a minimum wage via these negotiations.