More transparent and predictable working conditions in the EU approved
Last night, the European Parliament, the Commission and the Council have reached a provisional agreement on the Commission’s proposal for a directive on transparent and predictable working conditions in the EU, to update and improve comprehensive information which workers should now receive in a more reasonable time period and establish minimum rights for workers to address changes to the world of work while ensuring labour market adaptability and improving living and working conditions.
Between 4 and 6 million workers are on on-demand and intermittent contracts, many with little indication when and for how long they will work like in companies like Uber or Deliveroo. Up to 1 million are subject to exclusivity clauses, preventing them from working for another employer.
MEP Enrique Calvet Chambon (ES), rapporteur on this file said:
“The time to develop minimum rules on working conditions for European citizens has arrived. These minimum rights matters to the life of 500 million Europeans, it’s a response to their expectations and will contribute to balance flexibility and security. Our wish was to have all workers, all the new and old type of contracts, it does not matter how are they called, if on- demand, from platforms, or temporary, etc, the freelancers, that I recall that I introduced and should also be covered, that all workers are covered and there should be no jurisdictional mechanisms on national definitions that could exclude any of them.”
This initiative is one of Commission’s key actions to follow up on the European Pillar of Social Rights, jointly proclaimed by the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission at the Social Summit for Fair Jobs and Growth. This provisional agreement now has to be formally adopted by both the European Parliament and the Council.
Marianne Thyssen, Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility said:
“I would like to thank rapporteur Enrique Calvet Chambon and the shadow rapporteurs who negotiated on behalf of the European Parliament, and the Romanian Presidency on behalf of the Council. This agreement should now be confirmed quickly so that it can have a concrete, tangible, and positive effect on workers across the EU. This is what social Europe is all about.”
Source: EC
