Nearly 250 participants of the II European Labour Mobility Congress debated for two days on topics related to the posting of workers. Both the speakers and the participants agreed that there is a need to defend Polish services in the European Union.

On the first day of the Congress, experts discussed the nature and purpose of changes in the proposal for a posting of workers enforcement directive and thus its consequences for businessmen and their employees. The final text of the directive will be decided on April 16, when voting will be held during the plenary session of the European Parliament. Both Danuta Jazłowiecka and Kristin Schreiber emphasized that in the long term, after the adoption of the directive, the most important would be for representatives of business, science and public administration to continue working in close cooperation.

All the speakers – including EU representatives – agreed on the need for promoting of labour and services’ mobility as an increasing factor for the competitiveness of the European economy. Foreign guests drew attention to the need to find a compromise solution and look at the problem from the perspective of the host countries.

– Posting of workers is a way of improving our competitiveness on the European market. This is our national interest – stressed in his speech Professor Jerzy Hausner, the Ambassador of the Congress.

The talks were also attended by the employers. Stefan Schwarz, President of the Labour Mobility Initiatives, appealed for the need of effective protection of Polish services which are being discriminated in Western Europe, and Sebastian Filipek-Kaźmierczak (expert of Labour Mobility Initiative and Polish Chamber of Trade) stressed that“there is a need of highly efficient organization representing the interests of Polish companies in Brussels” .

During the second day of the Congress representatives of the scientific community presented, inter alia, issues related with the cross-border services in public procurement, the scope of the guarantee in terms of health benefits for posted workers, and the right of migrant workers to healthcare.

Congress participants were also able to take part in practical workshops led by Anna Siwiecka, Head of the International Insurance Department at the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS), who answered questions and explained doubts with interpretation in determining applicable law for posted workers and rules for validation of A1 forms.

We would like to thank you to all the speakers, invited guests and most of all – to Congress participants for their attendance at the event. We invite everyone to participate in the third edition of the Congress, which will be held next year.