Minimum Wages Directive and Beyond: Workers' Dignity Taken (Almost) Seriously.

This article examines the European Union’s Minimum Wages Directive as a reflection of a shifting political-economic approach toward social competition within the Single Market, highlighting a gradual extension of the EU’s competences in social matters. The Directive establishes a supporting and coordinating framework to enhance workers’ effective access to minimum wage protection, while preserving Member States’ autonomy in setting wage levels and recognizing the complementary role of collective bargaining. It identifies a structural legal vacuum in EU law regarding the right to fair and just working conditions, particularly fair remuneration, which contributes to lawful social dumping practices and undermines human dignity as enshrined in EU treaties. The study argues that the principle of human dignity could serve as a basis for broadening the scope of EU intervention on working conditions, supporting upward social convergence and the achievement of a highly competitive social market economy. Ultimately, the Directive signals a cautious but significant step toward reconciling market integration with social protection, challenging the notion that the EU functions solely as a market completion entity.