Although it is not a bold and rigorous text in favour of rider’s labour rights, it will at least serve to have legislation in all the countries of the European Union on the subject. Most of the European Union’s employment ministers have stood in favour of the directive to guarantee the rights of workers working for numerical platforms. Drafting the Directive started in December 2021 by the European Commission, but approval has been lengthened due to inconvenience and pressure. The text was agreed on 13 December last year between the European Parliament and the EU Member States, but it was not advanced because several states were imposed. In February, France and Germany again cut the road thanks to the support of Estonia and Greece. But in recent times Estonia and Greece have left and Paris and Berlin have not been able to block the directive. The text adopted is much more flexible than the original text as regards guarantees of respect for workers’ rights.

28.5 million workers

Uber officially has 28.5 million riders working for platforms like Glovo or Just Eat. They have the status of workers linked to the company, but they are declared to be self-employed, which means that they do not receive the rights and conditions of the employed workers: they have no minimum wage guarantee, they have no right to sick leave or holiday and they do not pay social security contributions. One of the main objectives of the directive is to amend the status of workers and to regularize the situation of these millions of workers. This possible mass regularisation has been the root cause of the opposition of the French State.

The use of algorithms will continue to be regulated: a qualified person will supervise the automated work of the algorithms and the workers will be able to discuss the results of the algorithms.

The European Commission has considered voting as an important step: "We have the first European legislation regulating algorithmic management of work and will set minimum standards for improving the working conditions of platform workers". The vote will now be ratified by the European Parliament. Member States will then have two years to adapt national legislation to the directive.