Bogus self-employment

“Many affected”: EU regulates platform work anew

The new directive aims to improve the rights and working conditions of employees on online portals.

(Bild: stock.adobe.com)

The Ministers for Employment and Social Affairs agreed on new EU regulations on platform work in Brussels on Monday. The directive aims to improve the rights and working conditions of workers on online portals.

An incredible number of people are affected, explained Social Affairs and Health Minister Johannes Rauch (Greens) before the meeting. Despite dissenting votes, a compromise had been reached, the Council Presidency announced.

France and Germany against
According to Council circles, France voted against the proposal. Germany abstained; the governing FDP party in particular is against it. Estonia and Greece are likely to have voted in favor of the proposal despite reservations. The necessary qualified majority (from member states and the population) was therefore achieved.

Rauch believes that Austria is not in a bad position in this area anyway, but there was room for improvement across the EU.

(Bild: APA/Georg Hochmuth)

The delivery, e-scooter and car-sharing service "Bolt", an important player in the sector, is based in Estonia. The European Parliament still has to formally approve the new law. However, this should only be a formality.

Rauch: "It's about protection from exploitation"
"As Minister of Social Affairs, I am concerned with protecting those affected from exploitation, but also with protecting those companies that act correctly and do not practice exploitation," emphasized Rauch in a press conference in Brussels. Around 500,000 people are affected by platform work in Austria, and around 30 million across Europe.

The most important point of the new regulation is the reversal of the burden of proof: whereas employees previously had to prove that they were not self-employed, in future the platforms will have to prove the opposite.

Same standards throughout Europe
The regulation on platform work is intended to take those affected out of bogus self-employment and give them the same rights as employees, such as a statutory minimum wage. Austria already has comparatively high standards when it comes to protecting employees, emphasized Rauch.

Nevertheless: "We need legal clarity in Europe." Austria will certainly support the proposal. It is in Austria's interest that "these standards are introduced throughout Europe."