I’m Still Standing: Transposition and political impact of the Directive on Adequate Minimum Wages in the EU

Abstract

More than one year after the deadline for the transposition of the European Minimum Wage Directive into national law, this contribution analyses the impact which the Directive already had on minimum wage setting and collective bargaining at national level. The article illustrates that the impact of the Directive goes far beyond the legal changes introduced in the context of its formal transposition into national law. Another important dimension is the political impact which the Directive had on the political agenda setting and the more general discourse about minimum wages and collective bargaining at national level. The article illustrates that the Directive is indeed a game changer but that it also faces some obstacles that prevent it from realizing its full potential in ensuring adequate minimum wages and strong collective bargaining. Against this background, the article highlights the need for further supportive actions at European level in order to support and push the Member States to realize the Directive’s overarching political objectives of reducing in-work poverty and wage inequality.