The European Parliament has greenlit regulations aimed at bolstering the rights of workers in the gig economy, particularly those engaged with digital platforms like Uber and Deliveroo.
Advocates anticipate that these regulations will facilitate the reclassification of certain workers as employees, thereby granting them access to comprehensive labor rights.
The legislation, endorsed by 554 EU lawmakers in a vote, with 56 opposed and 24 abstaining, is slated to become law pending final approval from the EU's 27 member states.
Initially conceived in 2021 to establish consistent rules, the legislation encountered resistance led by France, derailing progress in December. Despite subsequent negotiations, the original draft was overhauled in February, relinquishing the notion of a unified EU-level criteria list, a move perceived by some as maintaining the status quo.
With an estimated 28 million gig workers reliant on online platforms in Europe, the European Parliament asserts that approximately 5.5 million may be misclassified as self-employed.
Jeremy Wick, a Deliveroo and Uber Eats worker in Bordeaux, lauded the decision, viewing it as a triumph for workers and a setback for platforms. He emphasized its significance for colleagues across Europe, despite acknowledging the time required for implementation.
Wick's sentiments were echoed at a gathering organized by the far-left France Unbowed (LFI) party, attended by workers from Austria, France, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Slovenia, and Spain.
More: https://techxplore.com/news/2024-04-eu-lawmakers-scaled-app-worker.html
