During the construction of the new European Council office, several construction workers were exploited, according to an investigation by the Belgian newspaper De Standaard. Construction workers from various European countries were employed without contracts by subcontractors, did not receive their wages, and were not insured against accidents.
Flemish and Dutch social-democratic Members of the European Parliament Kathleen van Brempt and Agnes Jongerius want the exploited construction workers to receive compensation and for measures to be taken to prevent this from happening again.
“It is embarrassing that European rules regarding employment contracts and social security have been violated in what should have been a flagship building for Europe,” says Kathleen van Brempt (sp.a). “These abuses at the Council building are symptomatic of what is happening throughout the construction sector. With an uncontrolled proliferation of subcontractors, exploitation is concealed. The construction company that wins the contract must be held responsible for the entire chain,” states Agnes Jongerius (PvdA).
If it were up to Jongerius and Van Brempt, the European Union itself should also take action. “We feel a moral obligation to investigate which Bulgarian, Portuguese, and Moldovan workers were exploited here and how their damages can be compensated,” says Kathleen van Brempt. “If we want to tame the Wild West in construction, there must be a European construction site ID card. That way, enforcement can be ensured as to who is allowed to work on the construction site,” Agnes Jongerius adds.
Jongerius and Van Brempt call on the European Commission and the European Council in a letter to implement these measures. Their call is supported by Members of the European Parliament from various European countries.