14/12/2020 (Agence Europe) – In a statement issued on Monday 14 December, the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) said that self-employed workers have been excluded from employment support schemes in seven Member States since the start of the pandemic. Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Spain (except in the tourism sector) have not included a request for support for the self-employed under the SURE instrument (the European instrument for temporary support to national unemployment systems during the health crisis - see EUROPE 12613/31). Germany has no plans to extend short-time working or unemployment benefits to temporary workers and the self-employed. Hungary only provides benefits to self-employed workers in the catering and tourism sectors. The same is true in Italy: most self-employed, seasonal and non-standard workers receive no support. (PH)