The European Commission launched the second stage of the consultation with social partners for better protection of platform workers on Tuesday 15 June.
This second phase will end on 15 September. In accordance with the procedure laid down in the European treaties, it follows the first phase, which was launched on 24 February 2021 and ended on 7 April (see EUROPE 12665/15).
At the end of this first phase, the European Commission notes that trade unions and employers’ organisations generally agree with the issues identified. However, there is clearly opposition on how to respond to the challenges raised by the platforms, with trade unions favouring a binding initiative, while employers do not.
More specifically, trade unions stress the importance of addressing the status of these workers in the framework of a binding European instrument. The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) and Eurocadres would like to see the initiative extended to all forms of atypical work. For others, like CEC European Managers, there should be no distinction between employees and self-employed.
On the contrary, employers’ organisations are sceptical about a European initiative on platform work, saying they are against a one-size-fits-all approach. For them, the national level remains the appropriate level for action.
The European Commission is considering several options, such as the use of measures that would apply to all people working on a platform or only to workers with a contract. It is considering action on all digital work platforms or only on certain types of platforms in certain sectors. In any case, the initiative, the institution acknowledges, will have to respect national competences.
The idea is to tackle : - the wrong statutory categorisation of workers (but it excludes the creation of a new category of worker); - transparency of management algorithms; - cross-border issues; - the strengthening of social dialogue.
To read the consultation document: https://bit.ly/3xfJpwe (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)