At the third attempt, EU member states today finally supported the historic agreement on the protection of over 30 million platform workers and the European social model. This breakthrough is a result of the relentless efforts of the progressive family – the Socialists and Democrats – who led the negotiations on behalf of the European Parliament, as well as the Spanish government and the Belgian minister for social affairs who led the negotiations on behalf of EU member states. And all this would not be possible without – commissioner for jobs and social rights and the common progressive lead candidate for the European elections –Nicolas Schmit, who put a forward-looking legislative proposal on the table.

Iratxe García, S&D president, said:

“Today, we have written history. The pioneering EU law on platform work is unblocked, thanks to our hard work and unwavering commitment to social rights. A big victory for our social Europe, for our progressive family! We made it happen – for platform workers, for good employers, for the European social model and for the economy. Great achievements like this are our best arguments for the upcoming elections. We walk the talk. We care. We deliver.”

Elisabetta Gualmini, S&D vice-president and European Parliament’s rapporteur on the new EU legislation on platform work, said: 

“I am very happy and very proud of our progressive family. We won – for platform workers and good employers, against aggressive lobbying of exploitative platform giants supported until the end by French president Emmanuel Macron and his liberals. Heading to the European elections in less than 100 days, Europeans will remember.

“This victory is about protecting the people who give us rides, bring us food and perform many other services for us every day. Many platforms hire them as bogus self-employed, depriving them from decent wages and labour rights. We won this battle hand in hand with trade unions. 

“We have negotiated a historic deal that will give platform workers dignity, protection and rights. It will also preserve true self-employment, prevent unfair competition and introduce groundbreaking rules on algorithm management. This will make sure that the machines cannot fire people or spy on them and that working conditions will have to be transparent, like for every business. It will make Europe the pioneer in global labour law.”