V4 labour ministers refuse Austria’s new measure

The V4 ministers of labour and social affairs refused the indexation of children's allowances in Austria, as stems from the talks in Bratislava held on Thursday. The representatives of the ministries signed a joint statement and are turning to the EU Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility, Marianne Thyssen. Slovak Labour Minister Ján Richter convened the extraordinary session in response to new legislation approved by Austria. It will introduce as of January 1, 2019 varying family allowances, the level of which when paid abroad would depend on purchasing power in the country where a child has permanent residence. In the joint letter, the states claim that the legislation stands in opposition to EU law and the principle of equal treatment and ask the European Commission to look into the case. "It is expected that this law will adversely affect the socio-economic status of 87,500 children living in V4 countries," quantified Richter. "We're convinced that workers performing the same work are entitled to the same social benefits."