A day to celebrate workers' rights and the fight for a better Europe for all of us!
On the eve of May 1, International Labour Day, we are celebrating a small but important step for all workers living or planning to work within the EU!
As a member of the Committee on Employment and Social Rights (EMPL), I have been working since the beginning of my term on the reform of Regulation 883/2004, which protects your rights when you move from one Member State to another — such as health insurance, recognition of seniority, family and maternity benefits, unemployment rights and care for the elderly.
If adopted, this Regulation will for the first time clearly equalise the rights and obligations of both Member States and workers moving within the EU for work. It would bring additional protection to seasonal workers, as well as to all those who spend part of their working life in another Member State — in particular cross-border workers. It would also give you the right to care for the elderly if you spend part of your pension outside your home country.
In order for the Regulation to be adopted, it is necessary to find a consensus between the European Parliament and the Member States, and as a Parliament we are in favour of:
✅ Shorter working period to qualify for unemployment benefit faster
✅ A longer period for the “export” of unemployment benefits, so that you have time to get on your feet
✅ Better protection of workers in the construction sector from exploitation
The negotiations have been going on for more than 10 years and we will see how the Member States react - but we are not giving up. We are fighting for safer, fairer and easier mobility within the EU.
Happy 1st May — the day when we celebrate workers' rights and the fight for a better Europe for all of us!
