Road hauliers demand change to French & German regulations

Ten European road haulier associations, including Slovakia's CESMAD, protested against new regulations in a planned French and already valid German law on the minimum wage on Tuesday. According to TASR, as part of the protest CESMAD president Pavol Jančovič officially handed over a protest letter at the French Embassy in Slovakia and at the Representative Office of the European Commission in Slovakia. Jančovič explained that France, following the German example, is demanding that foreign drivers who transport goods into or out of the country should be paid at least the French minimum wage for the time spent there. The French minimum wage is currently more than €9 per hour. Additionally, the hiring of a permanent company representative in France would be required to manage each transport company's files, contracts and payroll slips. "At the same time we think that the bill fundamentally violates EU principles, namely the free movement of goods, services and people", added Jančovič.