Gig economy

As one of the fastest growing business models, most common in delivery and ride hailing in transport, platform work took centre stage at a dedicated session at ETF’s 6th Congress.

Early signals indicate that tomorrow's European Commission proposal on the platform work will in part make good on their promise to improve the working conditions of platform workers. ETF reacts...

The European Commission must take Dutch trade union FNV’s recent win against Uber as a hint and make it clear in the upcoming EU law on platform work that platform workers are employees.

The Transport (TRAN) Committee of the European Parliament adopted on 20 April its opinion on ‘fair working conditions, rights and social protection for platform workers’. Although it includes several constructive demands, it fails to condemn bogus self-employment and third employment status explicitly.

Despite unions' warnings against further deterioration of already substandard working conditions in on-demand passenger transport, the Slovenian government stays intent on opening its doors to ride-hailing apps under the pretence of "modernisation". But the ETF and Slovenian union, SDPZ know better.

The ETF proves that fair platform work is possible in its six-step manifesto. Fulfilling this vision requires platform companies to assume their responsibilities as employers and finally admit their workers are employees. Meaning they must adhere to regulations in place and ending their business model based on bogus self-employment and circumvention of labour and fiscal laws.

Danish trade union 3F and the employers’ organisation Dansk Erhverv reached a national sectoral agreement covering Just Eat's Riders. But this victory is only the beginning: '3F and the European trade union movement will not stop fighting for platform workers’ rights!'

Romulo Sta Ana, a Filipino father of two, is the latest food delivery rider to be killed on the job. The ITF and ETF offer our condolences to the family of Romulo Sta Ana and call on digital labour platforms to be regulated to put an end to the disastrous race-to-the-bottom that has harmed far too many workers already.

Is the gig economy compatible with fair work? To answer this burning question, we’ve brought together MEP Johan Danielsson, ETF Vice President, Jan Villadsen; ETUI’s Director of Research Department, Nicola Countouris; and ETF’s General Secretary, Livia Spera as moderator.

The Declaration promotes the benefits that automation and digitalisation can bring to European transport but leaves out those who will be directly impacted by the implementation of these new technologies: the millions of transport workers that move Europe forward. ETF has written to the Council of the EU, EFTA Secretariat, German Presidency, Permanent Representations of EU Member States to express concerns