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On 11 March 2024, Minister Van Gennip confirmed that the member states have agreed to the Platform Work Directive, despite previous announcements that it had not been adopted.
Compromise text agreement
The final agreed text strikes a balance between respecting national labor systems and ensuring minimum standards for the protection of platform workers. The key element of the compromise involves a legal presumption aimed at helping determine the correct employment status of platform workers. In this context, the following has been agreed:
- Member states will establish a legal presumption of an employment relationship within their legal systems, which will be triggered when facts are established indicating control and direction.
- The aforementioned facts will be further defined based on national law and collective agreements, taking into account EU jurisprudence, and
- Individuals working for digital platforms, their representatives, or national authorities can invoke this legal presumption and argue that they have been misclassified. It is then up to the digital platform to prove that there is no employment relationship.
Implementation timeline
After the necessary formal steps, including finalizing the text and approval by the Council of the EU and the European Parliament, member states will have two years to incorporate the Platform Work Directive into their national legislation.
We will keep you informed of further developments in this area.
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