The mandate, as adopted by the plenary, further strengthens the European Commission’s initial proposal for a directive from December 2021. Improving the working conditions of persons working in the platform economy has been a top priority for the European Parliament since early 2021 when it adopted an own-initiative report on the topic.

CESI Secretary General Klaus Heeger said: “We need an economy that works for the people, not the other way around. Those in platforms in need of protection must also benefit from labour law and social security. Following the proposal for a directive of the European Commission, today’s positive vote of the Parliament on a strong mandate to enter into interinstitutional negotiations is a further step in the right direction. The text seeks to ensure that those in de facto standard employment relationships in platforms will also be legally classified in this way.”

He added: “Many platforms refuse to acknowledge de facto dependent platform workers as employees and, therefore, as eligible to benefit from labour law and social security. This will no longer be possible if the report is turned in a directive.”

Klaus Heeger concluded: “We hope that the mandate of the European Parliament will increase the pressure on the Council to also adopt, as soon as possible, an ambitious general approach, so that a strong new directive will soon become reality. As new forms of employment evole and fragmentise at increasing speeds, framework conditions and the rules of the game for decent work must be clear from the start in every economic sector – and in the platform economy we are already late.”