Skip to main content
ETF black logo ETF black logo ETF black logo ETF black logo

Google Translate

ETF demands rightful application of German minimum law to road transport

Statement

Following the adoption of the minimum wage in Germany, the ETF published a statement pointing out that pay and conditions of any given Member State apply to any professional driver performing his work in and from its territory insofar as all the conditions set forth by the Posting of Workers Directive (Directive 96/71/EC) and the Rome I Regulation (Regulation (EC) No 593/2008) are met. In support to its statement, the ETF circulated a more detailed analysis on the topic based on EU legislation and jurisprudence.

The ETF analysis highlights that there is no provision excluding road transport from the scope of the Posting of Workers Directive and the Rome I Regulation, the two main EU legal frames relevant for the case. Moreover, the scope of these Community rules does not exclude any specific form of road operation, be it cabotage, combined transport or cross-border transport.

The application of the German minimum wage to road transport is a requirement of the EU legislation, rather than a controversial and arbitrary decision of a Member State, as many want to perceive it. Thus, we welcome the recent commitment of Germany and France to enforce this requirement. It is regrettable that the Posting of Workers Directive and the Rome I Regulation have not so far been enforced in road transport. But, as the ETF analysis and some other reports and publications show, the rules apply to our sector and thus must be put into practice without delay” said Roberto Parrillo, President of the ETF Road Transport Section.

You can download the complete statement (available in English, French, German, Romanian, Czech and Polish) under Related documents.

Following the adoption of the minimum wage in Germany, the ETF published a statement pointing out that pay and conditions of any given Member State apply to any professional driver performing his work in and from its territory insofar as all the conditions set forth by the Posting of Workers Directive (Directive 96/71/EC) and the Rome I Regulation (Regulation (EC) No 593/2008) are met. In support to its statement, the ETF circulated a more detailed analysis on the topic based on EU legislation and jurisprudence.

The ETF analysis highlights that there is no provision excluding road transport from the scope of the Posting of Workers Directive and the Rome I Regulation, the two main EU legal frames relevant for the case. Moreover, the scope of these Community rules does not exclude any specific form of road operation, be it cabotage, combined transport or cross-border transport.

The application of the German minimum wage to road transport is a requirement of the EU legislation, rather than a controversial and arbitrary decision of a Member State, as many want to perceive it. Thus, we welcome the recent commitment of Germany and France to enforce this requirement. It is regrettable that the Posting of Workers Directive and the Rome I Regulation have not so far been enforced in road transport. But, as the ETF analysis and some other reports and publications show, the rules apply to our sector and thus must be put into practice without delay” said Roberto Parrillo, President of the ETF Road Transport Section.

You can download the complete statement (available in English, French, German, Romanian, Czech and Polish) below.

ON THE GROUND

News

Keeping a warming Europe moving: how hot temperatures affect transport workers and what can be done about it

As part of the European continent undergoes its fourth heatwave of 2026, it has become abundantly clear that occupational heat exposure is no longer an exceptional or occasional summer hazard. It is an emergent occupational hazard only destined to escalate. Europe is the second fastest-warming region of the globe after the Arctic. According to EU-OSHA 2025 numbers, one in five workers in the EU signaled exposure to extreme heat at work in the previous 12 months, a figure rising to one in three in some countries.
News

Unruly passengers: more than just summer headlines

Summer may be synonymous with relaxation for holidaymakers and every summer seems to produce its share of eye-catching headlines. Just days ago, The Guardian reported on a drunk British holidaymaker who tried to kiss a flight attendant on a plane and was arrested on his way back through Palma airport. A week earlier, headlines were dominated by reports of a flight from Dublin to Ibiza descending into what was described as "sex and booze chaos," leaving fellow passengers shocked.
News

UK public transport unions sound the alarm over lack of toilet access for drivers

Public transport unions in the United Kingdom are raising urgent concerns about the lack of access to toilet facilities for bus and train drivers, a problem that has persisted for years but is now reaching a breaking point. Reports from across the UK show drivers being forced to work entire shifts without guaranteed access to a toilet, leaving them to rely on improvised or unsafe alternatives, including urinating in bottles in their driving cab. Some unions are now considering industrial action to force employers and authorities to act.