§ Mr. CashTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on proposals for(a) an EU-wide minimum wage and (b) EU-wide collective bargaining by trades unions. [1135377]
§ Mr. Alan JohnsonI have been asked to reply.
(a) Article 137(6) of the Treaty establishing the community specifically excludes action on pay. Therefore pay remains a matter for member states. The introduction of an EU minimum wage would run contrary to that position.
(b) It is for employers, employees and their representative organisations to agree whether and at what level any bargaining might take place, subject to the requirements of national laws and practices.