The European Commission launched a public consultation on Friday 5 March, running until 28 May, to ensure that EU competition rules do not hinder collective bargaining for certain solo self-employed workers.
Some solo self-employed workers may find themselves in a situation of unbalanced negotiating power vis-à-vis certain companies/purchasers of labour, leading them to have little influence over their payment and working conditions. Collective bargaining can be a powerful tool to achieve better working conditions.
According to EU competition law, self-employed are considered ‘undertakings’ and thus risk infringing competition rules when they bargain collectively. Whilst it is not for competition policy to address the social challenges faced by self-employed people, the initiative could ensure that EU competition rules do not prevent the self-employed in a weak position from engaging in collective negotiations or agreements to improve their working conditions.
The Commission had already published an inception impact assessment in which it set out four initial options on this subject (see EUROPE 12630/11).
The Commission has also recently launched a first phase consultation of the European social partners on working conditions via a platform (see EUROPE 12665/15).
Link to the consultation: http://bit.ly/3kMKfeG (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)