11
Feb
2026
Watch
Addressing subcontracting chains and the role of intermediaries in order to protect workers’ rights (debate)
Mr President, Commissioner, we are talking about an important societal issue today: serious cases of abuse by certain companies that have found ways to use the current system to gain an advantage, and very often, to escape total responsibility. All at the price of workers caught in the system. We saw it in the meat-packing industry in Germany a few years ago, before the government decided to take action. We see it more and more in the logistics sector, where the business model brought over by Amazon is fuelling a race to the bottom. And we see it in the construction sector, where fraudulent companies find their way into the chain. This leads to workers being forced to work in unsafe conditions and to be left out in the cold without the pay they are entitled to get. I agree 100 % with those that say that we need to enforce better the laws we already have. That is part of the solution, but I cannot see the way to solve all these issues without also stepping in with stricter limits in certain high‑risk sectors. And I absolutely cannot agree with those who are quoting Letta report trying to undermine this particular paper, because, you know, guys, we are speaking about the Letta report like this is a kind of buffet where we can pick the dishes we like and ignore the others. Protection of workers rights is a big part of European competitiveness. And if we lose that, we will lose the game.