In several sectors of the European Union, posted work has exerted downward pressure on wages and fuelled social competition.

Omissions

• The claim presents downward wage pressure as a general tendency; several sources find the aggregate wage impact of posting to be negligible or unevidenced (Bruegel: 'no evidence that posted workers have a stronger' effect than other forms of exploiting wage differences; ifo/CESifo: impact on German wages 'might therefore be negligible').
• The European Commission (French representation) explicitly states that a posted worker does not cost less than a French worker, and the French Treasury (Trésor-Éco n°171) frames 'social competition' from posted workers in France as 'fausses évidences et réalités' (false assumptions vs. realities).
• The claim does not specify which sectors or quantify the wage effect, making the assertion difficult to falsify and allowing selective emphasis on sectors where pressure is documented.
• The most directly relevant sectoral evidence (construction) and the 2018 revision of the Posted Workers Directive predate the session date, so no post-2024 data was found.

Sources

• PrimaryEuropean Commission - Representation in France: 'Non, l'Europe ne détruit pas nos emplois'Un travailleur détaché ne coûte pas moins cher qu'un travailleur français. (A posted worker does not cost less than a French worker.)
• PrimaryTrésor-Éco n°171 - Concurrence sociale des travailleurs détachés en France: fausses évidences et réalitésLe coût des travailleurs détachés pourrait s'avérer inférieur au coût des travailleurs non détachés en fonction de l'existence ou non [de certaines conditions].
• AcademicCentral and Eastern European Migration Review (CEEMR)This literature highlights the pressures that posting has exerted on labour standards, labour relations and regulatory frameworks, both nationally and at the EU [level].
• SecondaryEuropean Trade Union Institute (ETUI) - Chapter 8: Short-term employment of EU workers, evidence from SwedenArnholtz argues that the posting of low wage workers in certain sectors has contributed to the dualisation of labour markets in many of the EU's coordinated [market economies].
• SecondaryBruegel - 'Social dumping' and posted workers: a new clash within the EUPosted workers represent just one way to exploit wage differences across countries, and there is no evidence that posted workers have a stronger [effect]...
• Secondaryifo / CESifo Forum - Posted Workers in Germany: Developments and New ChallengesThe overall impact of postings on the German unemployment rate or wages might therefore be negligible and highly unlikely.