Dear Readers, We have just published the April 2024 edition of the ETUC newsletter. To read the document, please click here. Enjoy!

A joint ETUC-NEF report by Sebastian Mang and Dominic Caddick

Platform Work Directive: a milestone towards innovation that delivers for all.  Edited version published on Social Europe on 28th March 2024

Dear Readers, We have just published the March 2024 edition of the ETUC newsletter. To read the document, please click here. Enjoy!

Dear Readers, We have just published the February 2024 edition of the ETUC newsletter. To read the document, please click here. Enjoy!

Dear Ambassadors, I am addressing you again on behalf of the European Trade Union Confederation, representing the interests of workers across Europe.

As amended at 15th ETUC Statutory congress in Berlin 

Actions undertaken in the framework of the EU project “Platform Reps” have allowed ETUC and its member organisations to discuss and research in depth collective and legislative approaches towards digital labour platforms. This was done in light of the ongoing discussions by the European co-legislators on the proposal for a Directive on improving working conditions in platform work. The actions focused on the challenges identified for granting protection to workers and on the possibilities for the enaction of effective legislation at national level.   

Dear Lidija and Tea, The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) wishes to express our full support for Sindikat Mladi Plus, a member of our Slovenian member organization ZSSS, in their efforts of organising workers and to engage in collective bargaining with Wolt and Glovo, two digital labour platforms operating in Slovenia. We are extremely concerned by the negative response of these companies to undertake collective bargaining with Sindikat Mladi Plus, citing that their workers are self-employed and therefore cannot be represented by the union. 

The Guide for Mobile Workers in Europe is issued by the European Trade-Union Confederation (ETUC). The ETUC coordinates 46 Interregional Trade-Union Councils (IRTUC). The IRTUCs are associations of the regional trade union organisations in the many border areas to support local, often cross-border mobile workers in defending and pursuing their social and economic interests.

People go to work to make a living – to provide for themselves, their family and their loved ones. Every working day across the European Union twelve working people do not come home from work - because they have died at work. Far from earning a living, work has killed them, and their families suffer emotionally, financially and in many other ways.

ETUC calls for fair conditions for self-employed and employees

The European Social Partners have succesfully carried out a project on the impact of the shift to circular economy on the world of work. The objective of the project was to analyse the impact of the transition to the circular economy on employment, changing jobs and tasks, training needs and skills, working conditions (such as organisation of work and health and safety aspects) and competitiveness. Find here the results of the project.

Social partner recommendations on skills, innovation, provision of and access to training Key messages 1. Employee training is mainly the responsibility of social partners. When organising employee training, national social partners need to take into account the realities of the labour markets and the needs of workers, including changes of tasks and jobs, innovation, mobility and transitions into and between jobs.

Question 1: The EU addresses sustainability challenges with cross-border implications in dedicated multilateral fora (e.g. on climate change and biological diversity) and via its autonomous measures (including legislative ones). Against this background, what should be the contribution of the EU trade policy to promote the transition to a greener, fairer and more sustainable economy? How should the implementation and enforcement of TSD chapters in FTAs complement and support the EU’s multilateral and autonomous initiatives?

For this year’s World Day of Decent Work, ETUC has decided to focus its messages on workers in platform companies, calling on the Commission to make platform companies respect the rules and deliver decent work for workers. Have a look to our leaflet!