Seconding workers abroad is a new form of social dumping in Europe, say the governments of Belgium, France and the Netherlands.<br /><br />EU employment ministers will discuss the issue on Monday.<br /><br />The construction industry is most affected, where a long chain of subcontractors facilitates fraud.<br /><br />Workers from southern or eastern europe are not properly registered with authorities.<br /><br />Werner Buelen, Political secretary, European federation of building and woodworkers said:<br />“Some companies have made it a business model in providing precarious, cheap workers. And they use all kinds of abuses for example fake self-employment, they use letter-box companies, they deduct parts of the wages or they simply do not pay the social contributions or they fraud with taxations. “<br /><br />Manuel is a wielder who left his native Portugal for Belgium eight years ago.<br /><br />His work contract was not recognised by Belgian officials.<br /><br />The construction worker told euronews: “The work contract I had did not match my pay checks. None of my salary was declared or paid into my back accounts. It was stuffed into envelopes and paid little by little.”<br /><br />The French government wants EU law on this area toughened up.<br /><br />One idea is to increase the number of inspections that firms are subjected to.
