The European Commission (EC) has recently published a communication on its evaluation of the implementation of the Employer’s Sanctions Directive. In this document, the EC elaborates on findings and recommendations for governments to improve implementations of the Directive, including access to information, justice and remuneration, and temporary residence permits for undocumented workers.
The EC acknowledges that the delicate migration status of exploited workers can prevent them from filing a complaint, which is the reason why it calls for the introduction of a firewall system that would separate labour inspections from those related to migration. This was one of the issues PICUM aksed for in its written submission, to which LSI contributed. Earlier in June, the European Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) published a report describing how 25 Member States have implemented the Employers’ Sanction Directive and found major gaps in both the full and meaningful transposition and implementation into national law and practice. This month, the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) published its position on the Implementation of the Employers Sanctions’ Directive. ETUC has found very limited implementation of the provisions aimed at ensuring back payments, facilitation of complaints and residence permits for undocumented workers.