REVEALED: EU firms can pay Bulgarian workers 1/5th of minimum pay in UK

How the EU undercuts UK businesses using its low minimum wages

Latest figures show EU’s shockingly un-level playing field which UK companies must compete with

The latest official figures on minimum wages in the EU show just how un-level is the ‘playing field’ which the EU talked about incessantly in the run-up to the trade deal signed by Boris Johnson on 30 December 2020.

Our Brexit Facts4EU.Org analysis of the EU’s latest official data shows that a German manufacturer basing its factory in Bulgaria would have to pay its least qualified workers less than 20% of the rate a British manufacturer would have to pay its workers in the United Kingdom.

When the EU demands ‘fair competition’ and a ‘level playing field’, most people would consider this to involve similar labour costs and workers’ rights. This is not the case. The UK is undercut by competition from EU countries with far lower wages and significantly fewer workers’ rights.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org Summary

Where is the 'fair competition' from the EU?

6 EU member states have no legal minimum wage at all
The UK’s minimum wage is 64% above the EU average
Four member states have minimum wages which are less than one-third of those in the UK
The EU still has no minimum wage legislation, 23 years after the UK led the way

On workers’ rights, the EU still lags behind the UK by over 20 years

The situation is just as bad when it comes to workers’ rights. It was the UK that led – and leads - the way on this. For example the standards for statutory holiday entitlement and maternity pay are far higher than in the EU, as we have previously reported in detail.

EU workers' and women's rights laws are lower than UK’s

UK statutory paid holiday entitlement is 28 days, in EU only 20 days
Maternity leave – UK: 52 weeks, EU: 14 weeks
Under EU laws, the British people's rights would decrease

Last October the EU Commission announced that it would be bringing in a ‘Directive’ on minimum wages across the EU. However 23 years after the UK enforced a national minimum wage, the EU still proposes to make their own version voluntary.

Buried down in the EU Commission’s communication about this new Directive was the following:

“It does not oblige Member States to introduce statutory minimum wages,
nor does it set a common minimum wage level.”

In other words, 23 years after the UK led the way and introduced a national minimum wage in 1998, the EU will still not have one, and furthermore it will not compel member states to introduce one.

The EU talks but does nothing

Last October the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said:

“Today's proposal for adequate minimum wages is an important signal that also in crisis times, the dignity of work must be sacred. We have seen that for too many people, work no longer pays. Workers should have access to adequate minimum wages and a decent standard of living.”

Observations

We would love to keep the team together, working for you

Unfortunately some people now think Brexit is "done" and not surprisingly the whole Covid thing has hit the level of donations we receive, which were already less than we needed to survive. We are most grateful to readers who have donated this year, but we badly need more readers to do the same. 10 readers donating £500 per month, or 50 readers donating £100 per month, or 1000 readers donating £5 per month - on top of the one-off donations and monthly donations we currently receive, this would just about keep us going.

Sadly, the challenges of seeing Brexit through are not the only concerns we face. Freedom of expression and the basic principles of democratic accountability are under attack as we have never seen before. We have far more to do in researching, publishing, campaigning and lobbying Parliament than we have in terms of the financial resources to fulfil these tasks. We rely 100% on public donations from readers like you. Unlike the Remain/Rejoin camp, we do not have foreign billionaires to subsidise our work.

If you believe in a fully-free, independent, and sovereign United Kingdom, and want to see the full benefits of Brexit being delivered, please make a donation now. It’s quick, secure, and confidential, and you can use one of the links below or you can use our Donations page here. You will receive a personal, friendly ‘thank you’ from a member of our team within 24 hours. Thank you so much if you can help to keep us going.

[ Sources: EU Commission statistics agency Eurostat ] Politicians and journalists can contact us for details, as ever.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org, Mon 08 Feb 2021

Click here to go to our news headlines

Please scroll down to COMMENT on the above article.
And don't forget to actually post your message after you have previewed it!

Something to say about this? Scroll down for reader comments

Since before the EU Referendum, Brexit Facts4EU.Org
has been the most prolific researcher and publisher of Brexit facts in the world.

Supported by MPs, MEPs, & other groups, our work has impact.

We think facts matter. Please donate today, so that we can continue to ensure a clean Brexit is finally delivered.

Any credit card user

Quick One-off

From £5 - £1,000

Monthly

From £3 per month

Paypal Users Only - Choose amount first

Quick One-off

Monthly

PLEASE NOTE IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT : You can write your comment under any existing comments below. After you have clicked to preview your comment, you MUST then click on the CAPTCHA system and send you comment, for it to be published. Thank you!

Reader Comments 15

11. Judith Shires , Monday, February 08, 2021, 18:07:

As this is the case, why on earth did the UK agree
To the EU's level playing field. ? It doesnt make sense.

12. Derek Lund , Monday, February 08, 2021, 18:34:

10. Mary Quite Contrary; I did read the article but didn't find mention of any specific example of a EU sourced product undercutting a UK equivalent. Perhaps, if there are examples out there that are of a material value, our Gov't could, as I said in comment 9, raise a complaint under the new Trade Agreement. However, if EU States are using cheap labour to produce an item that we either can't or won't produce ourselves then it would be in our interests to let them get on with it and we can bank the difference.
In other words, one shouldn't make sweeping statements about an issue such as cheap labour but rather one should by careful analysis identify those instances which do materially damage our interests.

13. Michael James , Monday, February 08, 2021, 19:53:

Hence why these countries bleed workers to countries with higher minimum wages thus diluting each country with migrant workers. Eventually all countries have no national identity and belong only to the greater EU, their masters.
Good eh?

14. AC , Saturday, February 27, 2021, 21:24:

Bitter much?

15. Melvyn Thomas , Sunday, February 28, 2021, 06:33:

The policy only works for so long, the EU cannot extract millions from economies that have no money. It also sows the seeds of jealousy, bringing about, eventually, revolution, perhaps that's what the EU storm troopers are for.

15 comments, page 2 of 2

Add comment:

Please note: Your email address is never published unless you choose to enter it.