EU single market strategy must not be at the expense of employees and consumers

The new EU single market strategy is strongly focused on the economy and competition, which is entirely in line with the wishes of business representatives. Protective standards, including those for employees and consumers, are being called into question under the pretext of reducing bureaucracy. While efficient rules and procedures are certainly welcome, they must not come at the expense of society. The Chamber of Labour is therefore calling for the social partners to be involved in the ongoing review of the regulations in question. The AK is particularly critical of the ongoing omnibus procedures because they are democratically questionable. In particular, changes to the posting regulations for employees, data protection and the definition of SMEs are problematic as they have a negative impact on employees and society. 

On the other hand, investment is urgently needed, particularly in energy and rail networks. Social and ecological restructuring should be a high priority. With regard to public procurement, wage and social dumping must be prevented. In addition, the removal of territorial supply restrictions would be welcome, as these currently lead to considerable price differences.