Social Platform welcomes the decision of the EPSCO Council today, 11 March, to approve the provisional agreement reached between the European Parliament, the European Commission and the Council on the Platform Work Directive.
While falling short of the ambition to harmonise EU rules for platform workers, this agreement nonetheless represents significant progress for platform workers. Member States must now ensure they provide appropriate and effective procedures to determine whether a platform worker is an employee based on national law, collective agreements and national practice in line with the caselaw of the Court of Justice of the European Union.
For too long platform workers have not been able to access basic workers’ rights or working conditions due to bogus ‘self-employment’ classifications and employers avoiding their obligations. This new deal is a first step towards the reclassification of workers and paves the way to improved social protection. The pioneering provisions on data protection and algorithmic management included in the agreement also seek to restrain employers and put power back in the hands of marginalised workers.
Continuing to work together across the EU to set these common standards is essential if we are to achieve a fairer, more inclusive, social Europe.
Laura de Bonfils, Secretary General of Social Platform said:
“This Directive is a much-needed step forward in improving legal certainty for platform workers and ensuring that they can access their rights. These infringements of platform workers’ rights were hitting disadvantaged groups the hardest, with young people, those lacking formal education, and racial and ethnic minorities likely to take up platform work.
We call on Member States to ambitiously implement this directive and show their commitment to improving the lives of platform workers. We wish to thank the European Commission, European Parliament and the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU for their tireless work to conclude an agreement.”
