European vice-president for social rights visits Oosterweel Link site
Roxana Mînzatu, vice-president for social rights within the European Commission, has on Friday visited the construction site of the Oosterweel Link in Antwerp. The focus of the visit was on social legislation and labour regulations.
The Oosterweel Link is a redesign of the motorway around Antwerp to improve access to the city and port. It was first proposed in 1997, but actual construction only started in 2018, with a planned completion date of 2033.
With thousands of workers and 88 nationalities, safety and social dialogue are crucial at the Oosterweel site. Everyone working on the site has to take a safety course and there is a system for whistleblowers - should problems arise. Construction manager Lantis stressed that it incorporated a number of clauses in contracts with contractors which should ensure fair and correct working conditions. All contractors have also drawn up a social fraud prevention plan. But the construction industry expects more help from Europe. Some documents could still be easily falsified.
Fair labour mobility
“It is inspiring to see the commitment to corporate responsibility here,” said Roxana Mînzatu, vice-president for social rights within the European Commission, during her visit to the site. She stressed that the “construction sector is crucial for the future of the European labour market”.
“I am committed to digitalisation, fair standards, fair labour mobility and improving the European labour authority,” she added, and emphasised her focus on stopping social dumping. “That is especially important in the construction sector. A good job in construction can herald the promise of a better life. This sector can thus lift people out of poverty. That is why fair mobility of labour is my absolute priority.”
The Oosterweel project has been affected by delays and problems with PFAS, and the Court of Audit signalled other issues this week. Interest charges have risen from 12 to 17 billion euros and there would still be insufficient revenue for the planned costs. On top of that, a financing gap of 2.3 billion euros above the loan ceiling is looming.
#FlandersNewsService | Construction activity at the Oosterweel site © BELGA PHOTO JONAS ROOSENS / Interview with Roxana Mînzatu, vice-president for social rights within the European Commission © BELGA VIDEO ROBBE VANDEGEHUCHTE
Related news
