More and more people are earning a living for themselves and their families by working for platforms such as Uber, Lieferando and other platforms that offer consumers services provided by employees (like Gorilla) or self-employed sole traders.
by Steffen Stierle published in TAGESSPIEGEL BACKGROUND on October 21, 2021
In the platform economy, traditional occupational safety standards are often ineffective due to the unclear status of employees. A new regulatory framework is needed. However, a move by the Ministry of Labor at the national level has come to nothing. The EU Commission wants to submit proposals at the end of the year.
Digital transformation is fundamentally changing the world of work. Politicians are therefore required to adapt the regulatory framework of the economy. The platform economy is already showing how poorly the old framework fits the new jobs - especially when it comes to the protection and rights of employees. But it also shows how difficult it is to develop and implement modern employee protection.
This problem becomes greater the more important platforms like Uber or Lieferando become. According to estimates, around eleven percent of employees across Europe earn at least a relevant part of their income via platforms - and the trend is rising. But what status do the platform workers have – employed or self-employed? This grid no longer works. Many are formally self-employed, but in fact they are integrated into the work organization like employees and are subject to personal instructions and specific requirements regarding the content, time and place of the activity. A constellation that invites exploitation by the operators: rights such as protection against dismissal, continued payment of wages in the event of illness or maximum working hours are undermined.
National regulation failed
However, an initiative by the Federal Ministry of Labor (BMAS) shows how difficult it is to regulate the platform economy. “We will not allow the rights of online-placed employees to be undermined,” said department head Hubertus Heil (SPD) last November... [Continue reading]
