24.04.2020

The trade unions in the border triangle of Saxony, the Czech Republic and Poland today published a joint declaration on the situation in the border region:

"We call on the governments of Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic to immediately restore freedom of movement on the cross-border labour market in the border triangle for all cross-border workers. Border closures are not an instrument to combat corona, but an acute threat to jobs and livelihoods of cross-border workers," said Markus Schlimbach, Chairman of the DGB District Saxony.

The trade unions note with annoyance that European cohesion is currently falling by the wayside. Those who suffer most are the employees in the common cross-border labour market. In the Free State of Saxony there are more than 11,000 employees from the Czech Republic and about 20,000 from Poland who are subject to social security contributions. Among them are more than 9,000 cross-border commuters from the Czech Republic and more than 10,000 from Poland.

Due to the quarantine regulations in the Czech Republic and Poland, it is hardly possible for them to come to Germany to work. The countries are violating the right to free movement. The border crossers are threatened with dismissals!

The IGR Elbe-Neisse was founded in 1993 and works for a social and fair development of the border region. It consists of the DGB District Saxony, the regional divisions of the Bohemian-Moravian Confederation of Trade Union Associations (ČMKOS), the Polish OPZZ and the NSZZ "Solidarność".

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)