Following the European Parliament vote on the application procedure for a single permit for residence and work for third country nationals, GUE/NGL MEP Patrick Le Hyaric (France) said: "I am pleased that the majority of MEPs have rejected a negative compromise with the European Council on this Directive. The plenary today said no to a bad compromise that was in the sole interest of the major companies and that would have put more workers from within the EU and outside of it in competition for work. In a sense this was a second Bolkestein directive to make workers from third countries more exploitable. "

This directive was falsely portrayed as guaranteeing the rights of workers. It was actually a text that opened the way for the creation of several categories of workers in the European Union. For example seasonal workers transferred within the same multinational would not be able to take advantage of the rights of their country of origin. It is inequality that would have been strengthened and institutionalized.

"This project - Le Hyaric concluded - seriously violated the principles of the Charter of Fundamental Rights by not respecting the equality of workers on their remuneration, working time, safety at work, health, holidays, social protection and training. Today the Parliament must be praised for listening to trade unions, including the European Trade Union Confederation, and its Committee on Employment and Social Affairs. The citizens of Europe must remain vigilant."

GUE/NGL Press
Gianfranco Battistini +32 475 64 66 28
Gay Kavanagh + 32 473 842 320
David Lundy + 32 485 505812
www.guengl.eu