Revised textual content scraps a set of standards proposed by the European Fee to find out if a web-based firm is an employer.
European Union international locations have agreed rules figuring out when so-called gig economic system staff at on-line platforms comparable to Uber and Deliveroo ought to be handled as workers after weeks of wrangling over the draft textual content.
The draft guidelines, first proposed by the European Fee in 2021, are aimed toward an estimated 28 million staff within the EU, whose numbers are forecast to rise to 43 million subsequent yr.
“Ministers just approved the compromise text on the Platform Work Directive (#PWD). This will improve the rights and conditions of more than 28.5 million Europeans working in the #PlatformWork economy,” Belgium, the present holder of the rotating EU presidency, stated on the social media platform X on Monday.
EU negotiators finalised a earlier deal on the principles in December, however some international locations – together with France, Germany, Estonia and Greece – weren’t proud of the draft settlement.
That textual content stated if staff meet two out of 5 standards, the presumption could be that they don’t seem to be impartial contractors however workers, giving them entry to advantages like sick pay.
In February, member states agreed on one other textual content, however critics stated it was watered down.
The revised textual content scrapped the set of standards proposed by the fee to find out if a web-based firm is an employer.
As a substitute, nationwide regulation, collective agreements and case regulation would dictate whether or not a employee is an worker, which in impact would preserve the established order.
The burden of proof could be on corporations to point out that gig staff aren’t workers.
The Platform Work Directive would classify staff on gig-economy apps as workers in instances the place platforms management elements comparable to how a lot staff are paid or their working hours or electronically supervise their efficiency.
The draft guidelines ban the usage of automated monitoring or decision-making programs to course of sure kinds of private information of individuals performing platform work, comparable to biometric information or their emotional or psychological state.
The European Parliament is to vote on the settlement subsequent month.
EU votes to ‘maintain the status quo’: Uber
Uber stated Monday’s approval would hold the established order in place.
“EU countries have voted to maintain the status quo today with platform worker status continuing to be decided country to country and court to court,” an Uber spokesperson stated.
“Uber now calls on EU countries to introduce national laws that give platform workers the protections they deserve while maintaining the independence they prefer.”