News

On 12 July, UNI Europa, represented by its Regional Secretary Oliver Roethig, attended a Public hearing in the European Parliament on “The impact of business models, including the platform economy, on employment and social security in the EU.”

The main objective of the hearing was to deepen the European Parliament’s ’Committee on Employment and Social Affairs’ understanding of the impact of new business models, including the gig economy, on employment and social security.

“For UNI Europa, the European services workers union, one of the key challenges for employment, social security and regulation is the disappearance of standard models for business and work organisation,” Oliver Roethig stated in his presentation at the hearing.

At the hearing experts exchanged views with the MEPs on the circumstances of persons employed through, for instance, online platforms, what their working conditions are like and under which conditions they are covered by social security systems.

“Europe’s social model has at its core a concept of working life that allows workers and their families to live in dignity – also in the digital age. A key aspect is that working life provides long-term stability, predictability and a career perspective. While it might not mean one job for life, employment for life with decent pay and decent working conditions should remain the goal.” Roethig stressed. He concluded by calling for “platform operators to come together with trade unions – in social dialogue – to develop decent standards for platform workers.”

Read UNI Europa Regional Secretary Oliver Roethig’s full statement here: http://www.uni-europa.org/EMPL

Find out more about UNI Europa’s work on digitalisation: http://www.uni-europa.org/category/digitalisation/

Watch the hearing: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/ep-live/en/committees/video?event=20170712...