Equal pay for foreign workers

Workers brought in from another EU country to complete a contract must be paid the same as workers in the host country, the European Court of Justice has found.

EU rules on the so-called posted workers have led to disputes in many countries, especially in France, where it was seen as an attempt to force down the wages paid to local workers.

In a case brought by a Finnish body and dealing specifically with the Nordic system of collective agreements, the ECJ clarified the concept of minimum rates of pay for posted workers. It said the law of the host country applies to workers contracted in from another member state, especially in defining minimum pay rates.