Community news|24/06/22

Draft directive on the protection of platform workers: what is the state of play in the Council?

Home > The news of EUROGIP and occupational risks in Europe > Draft directive on the protection of platform workers: what is the state of play in the Council?

The EU Presidency presented a progress report on the proposal for a directive on improving working conditions in the context of platform work to the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council on 16 June 2022.

The Commission presented its proposal for a directive on 9 December 2021. On 22 December, the French Presidency sent out a questionnaire on the impact assessment to which 25 Member States replied. Following a first reading of the text – meetings in January, March and April – the Commission provided clarifications specifically on the legal presumption of salaried status and its reversal. On this basis, the French Presidency was able to draw up a first compromise text with the main objective of clarifying the technical aspects of the text, focusing exclusively on Chapters I (General Provisions) and II (Employment Status) and the relative recitals.

According to the Council, further technical work and discussions are necessary. It also underlines that the vast majority of delegations welcomed the proposal in principle, stressing the need for time to assess all the consequences of the proposal. For the time being, all delegations maintain general scrutiny reservations on the text. Denmark and the Netherlands maintain parliamentary scrutiny reservations.

Although MEP Elisabetta Gualmini (S&D, Italy) presented her report on 19 May, the European Parliament has not yet adopted its position at first reading. It is recalled that on the legal basis of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), the Council is required to act together with the European Parliament in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure.

In view of the discussion in the Council, it should also be pointed out that the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) had sent a joint plea from self-employed workers’ organisations and employees’ trade unions calling for an “effective” text on improving working conditions in platform work.

Report on the state of play of the Council on 30 May 2022

EUROGIP report on the protection of platform workers in Europe

Discover other news

Abroad

27/06/24

AUSTRIA: More accidents at work and on the way to work in 2023

According to data published by the Austrian Social insurance for occupational injuries (AUVA) in mid-June, 145,748 claims were registered last year, broken down as follows 29,866 accidents (at work and and students), 13,062 commuting accidents and 2,820 cases of occupational diseases. While the number of accidents (at work and on the way to work) has increased, the number of occupational diseases has decreased compared to 2022.

Abroad

27/06/24

GERMANY: in 2023, the number of fatal accidents at work and commuting accidents was lower than ever before

The number of accidents at work in 2023 to declare was lower than in 2019: 783,426 compared with 871,547. This is a record number if we exclude the years 2020 to 2022, which were heavily influenced by the Covid-19 pandemic. The number of fatal accidents at work and on the way to work was also at an all-time low, and the number of occupational diseases reported and recognised fell sharply.

Abroad

27/06/24

DENMARK: faster processing of workers’ compensation claims

New rules, which come into force on 1 July, are designed to give victims of accidents at work a quicker response to their claim for compensation. From now on, employers, doctors and local authorities will be liable to a fine if they fail to provide information within the statutory time limit, i.e. no later than 14 days after the first day of absence, if the accident has resulted in the employee being unable to work or absent from work after the day of the accident.