After two years of negotiations, European Union lawmakers have reached a historic agreement on the final shape of the Platform Worker Directive, marking a significant milestone in the push to enhance protections for gig workers.
Key Takeaway
European Union lawmakers have reached a historic agreement on the Platform Worker Directive, aiming to enhance protections for millions of gig workers across Europe.
Historic Boost for Gig Workers
The development is set to deliver a significant boost for millions of gig workers laboring on digital platforms without the benefits of workers’ rights. The EU estimates that approximately 5.5 million people currently working for such platforms in the region may be incorrectly classified as self-employed, resulting in the absence of crucial labor and social rights protections.
Presumption of Employment Relationship
The agreed deal includes a presumption of an employment relationship between a gig worker and a platform, triggered when two out of a list of five “indicators of control or direction” are present, as stated in the parliament’s press release.
Transparency Provisions
The agreement also incorporates transparency provisions that mandate platforms to provide information to individuals performing platform work about the algorithms that manage them and how their behavior affects decisions taken by automated systems.
Human Oversight and Data Protection
The provisionally agreed new rules will ban platforms from making certain important decisions, such as dismissals or account suspensions, without human oversight. Additionally, the directive aims to beef up data protection rights for platform workers by prohibiting the processing of certain types of personal data and ensuring more human oversight on decisions of systems affecting platform workers.
Next Steps
The final text of the agreement still needs to be voted on by the Council and Parliament before it can be adopted as pan-EU law. While the implementation period and specific details of the agreement remain unclear, the political deal represents a significant step forward in advancing the rights of gig workers across Europe.
