The French government last week organisedA meeting where players from the European transport sector could put questions about the introduction of the minimum wage for truck drivers. However, the government was not yet able to answer many questions, TLN reported. Nevertheless, the French are still insisting on introducing the change in the law, which is scheduled for 1 July this year.
There would still be a lot of ambiguity about how exactly the legislation should be interpreted. For instance, the legislation seems to apply to international transport and cabotage in France. It is unclear whether transit traffic through France is exempted.
In any case, it is clear that the minimum wage will apply to non-French workers employed in France from 1 July. In doing so, the government wants to prevent French truck drivers from being priced out of the market. In fact, the French receive a minimum wage of €9.67.
Transport companies must be able to prove that they pay their driver the minimum wage. When checked, the driver must also be in possession of his employment contract. In addition, companies are obliged to have a representative in France who keeps the documents for a year and a half after the work has been carried out.
Request for postponement
As there still seems to be a lot of uncertainty surrounding the new legislation, umbrella organisation IRU is going to request the French government to postpone enforcement until all questions have been answered and transport companies have had a chance to comply with the legislation. TLN is also asking Social Affairs and Employment Minister Asscher to raise the issue with his French counterpart Macron.
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