Activities of Miriam LEXMANN related to 2021/0414(COD)
Plenary speeches (1)
Improving working conditions in platform work (A9-0301/2022 - Elisabetta Gualmini) (vote)
Amendments (38)
Amendment 215 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 6
Recital 6
(6) Platform work can provide opportunities for accessing the labour market more easily, gaining additional income through a secondary activity or enjoying some flexibility create employment, increase choice, provide additional income, and lower barriers to entering the organisation of working timelabour market, especially for vulnerable groups. At the same time, platform work brings challenges, as it can blur the boundaries between employment relationship and self- employed activity, and the responsibilities of employers and workers. Misclassification of the employment status has consequences for the persons affected, as it is likely to restrict access to existing labour and social rights. It also leads to an uneven playing field with respect to businesses that classify their workers correctly, and it has implications for Member States’ industrial relations systems, their tax base and the coverage and sustainability of their social protection systems. While such challenges are broader than platform work, they are particularly acute and pressing in the platform economy.
Amendment 218 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 6 a (new)
Recital 6 a (new)
(6a) Platform work may facilitate flexibility and optimisation of resources, and provide opportunities for both people working in or through digital labour platforms and clients, and the matching of demand for and supply of services.
Amendment 220 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 6 b (new)
Recital 6 b (new)
(6b) Innovation in digital tools is a precondition for platform work and can contribute to growth in times of crisis and recovery.
Amendment 221 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 6 c (new)
Recital 6 c (new)
(6c) Platform work can offer advantages for students and those who wish to combine study and work at the same time, as well as creating access to employment for young people not in education, employment or training (NEETs), and people with lower skill levels;
Amendment 232 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 7 a (new)
Recital 7 a (new)
(7a) No legal uncertainty exists for the traditional regulated liberal professions, irrespective whether their performance is facilitated by digital means or not. Further more, the question of the classification of regulated liberal professions is often clearly regulated on national level and often free lancers, engaged in liberal professions, are legally prohibited from employment under employment contract.
Amendment 234 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 7 c (new)
Recital 7 c (new)
(7c) No definition of 'worker’ at European level exists, to resolve the above mentioned uncertainties, and the case law of the CJEU has established criteria for determining the status of a worker and a self employed person, while leaving most of the competences to the Member States;
Amendment 272 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 15
Recital 15
(15) In addition, the Commission held extensive exchanges with relevant stakeholders, including digital labour platforms, associations of persons performing platform work, experts from academia, Member States and international organisations and representatives of civil society. It is of utmost importance for these consultations to continue after the adoption of this Directive, including social partners at all levels, in order to guarantee the smooth transposition and implementation of the Directive and provide for a timely revision, based on lessons learned.
Amendment 293 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 18
Recital 18
(18) Digital labour platforms differ from other online platforms in that they organise work performed by individuals at the request, one-off or repeated, of the recipient of a service provided by the platform. Organising work performed by individuals should imply at a minimum a significantdetermining role in matching the demand for the service with the supply of labour by an individual who has a contractual relationship with the digital labour platform and who is available to perform a specific task, and can include other activities such as processing payments. Online platforms which do not organise the work performed by individuals but merely provide the means by which service providers can reach the end-user, for instance by advertising offers or requests for services or aggregating and displaying available service providers in a specific area, without any further involvement, should not be considered a digital labour platform. The definition of digital labour platforms should not include providers of a service whose primary purpose is to exploit or share assets, such as short-term rental of accommodation. It should be limited to providers of a service for which the organisation of work performed by the individual, such as transport of persons or goods or cleaning, constitutes a determining, necessary and essential and not merely a minor and purely ancillary component.
Amendment 323 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 23
Recital 23
(23) Ensuring correct determination of the employment status should not prevent the improvement of working conditions of genuine self-employed persons performing platform work. Where a digital labour platform decides – on a purely voluntary basis, as a result of collective bargaining, based on the Code of Conduct agreed among the relevant stakeholders, or in agreement with the persons concerned – to pay for social protection, accident insurance or other forms of insurance, training measures or similar benefits to self-employed persons working through that platform, those benefits as such should not be regarded as determining elements indicating the existence of an employment relationship.
Amendment 324 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 23
Recital 23
(23) Ensuring correct determination of the employment status should not prevent the improvement of working conditions of genuine self-employed persons performing platform work. Where a digital labour platform decides – on a purely voluntary basis, as a result of collective bargaining or in agreement with the persons concerned – to pay for social protection, accident insurance or other forms of insurance, training measures or similar benefits to self-employed persons working through that platform, those benefits as such should not be regarded as determining elements indicating the existence of an employment relationship.
Amendment 357 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 26 a (new)
Recital 26 a (new)
(26a) Code of Conduct based on the agreement among relevant stakeholders as a form of self-regulation focused on improving working conditions of genuine self-employed persons performing platform work including their social protection should be encouraged by the Commission and Member States. Improving working conditions of genuine self-employed persons performing platform work by the platforms involved in the Code of Conduct shall not be considered as fulfilling the criteria as outlined by Article 4 paragraph 2.
Amendment 358 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 26 a (new)
Recital 26 a (new)
(26a) Collective bargaining agreements between representatives of platform workers and digital labour platforms focusing on the working conditions of platform workers are encouraged and the competent authorities in Member States shall not consider any of the criteria in Article 4 paragraph 2 met where they are included in collective bargaining negotiations.
Amendment 393 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 33
Recital 33
(33) Digital labour platforms should not be required to disclose the detailed functioning of their automated monitoring and decision-making systems, including algorithms, or other detailed data that contains commercial secrets, price sensitive information or is protected by intellectual property rights. Digital labour platforms should also not be required to disclose information that, with reasonable certainty, would result in the enabling of deception of consumers or consumer harm through the manipulation of the system. However, the result of those considerations should not be a refusal to provide all the information required by this Directive.
Amendment 433 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 44
Recital 44
(44) Representatives of persons performing platform work should be able to represent one or several persons performing platform work in any judicial or administrative procedure to enforce any of the rights or obligations arising from this Directive. Bringing claims on behalf of or supporting several persons performing platform work is a way to facilitate proceedings that would not have been brought otherwise because of procedural and financial barriers or a fear of reprisalsExcept to the extent that national law provides for it, individuals should not be subject to collective action on their behalf without having agreed explicitly to the action. This is in order to ensure that collective action by representatives of persons performing platform work would not result in persons performing platform work being reclassified against their will.
Amendment 439 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 45
Recital 45
(45) Platform work is characterised by the lack of a common workplace where workers can get to know each other and communicate with each other and with their representatives, also in view of defending their interests towards the employer. It is therefore necessary to create digital communication channels, in line with the digital labour platforms’ work organisation, where persons performing platform work can exchange with each other and be contacted by their representatives. Digital labour platforms should create such communication channels within their digital infrastructure or through similarly effective means, while respecting the protection of personal data and refraining from accessing or monitoring those communicationsfacilitate the establishment of such communication channels while respecting the protection of personal data.
Amendment 475 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 1 – paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. This Directive shall be without prejudice to the full respect of the autonomy of social partners, as well as their right to negotiate and conclude collective agreements.
Amendment 499 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 2
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 2
(2) ‘platform work’ means any work essentially organised through a digital labour platform and performed in the Union by an individual on the basis of a direct contractual relationship between the digital labour platform and the individual, irrespective of whether an case no contractual relationship exists between the individual and the recipient of the service;
Amendment 504 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 3
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 3
(3) ‘person performingengaged in platform work’' means any individual performing platform work, irrespective of the contractual designation of the relationship between that individual and the digital labour platform by the parties involved;
Amendment 525 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 6 a (new)
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 6 a (new)
Amendment 541 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 2 – paragraph 2
Article 2 – paragraph 2
2. The definition of digital labour platforms laid down in paragraph 1, point (1), shall not include providers of a service whose primary purpose is to exploit or share assets. It shall be limited to providers of a service for which the organisation of work performed by the individual constitutes not merely a minor and purely ancillary component, or organisations classified as a small or medium sized enterprise according to Commission Recommendation 2003/361/EC.
Amendment 555 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 3 – paragraph 2
Article 3 – paragraph 2
2. The determination of the existence of an employment relationship shall be guided primarily by the facts relating to the actual performance of work, taking into account the use of algorithms in the organisation of platform work, by the individual in question on a case by case basis irrespective of how the relationship is classified in any contractual arrangement that may have been agreed between the parties involved. Where the existence of an employment relationship is established based on facts, the party assuming the obligations of the employer shall be clearly identified in accordance with national legal systems.
Amendment 605 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – introductory part
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – introductory part
2. Controlling the performance of work within the meaning of paragraph 1 shall be understood as fulfilling at least two majority of the following, without prejudice to collective agreements between digital labour platforms and persons performing platform work:
Amendment 616 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – point a
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – point a
(a) effectivelyDe facto determining, or setting upper limits for thethe total level of remuneration, beyond what is required by law;
Amendment 627 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – point b
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – point b
(b) requiring the person performing platform work to respect specificextensive binding rules with regard to appearance, conduct towards the recipient of the service or performance of the work;, beyond what is required by law or reasonably necessary to safeguard health and safety or to ensure the essential functioning of the service.
Amendment 640 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – point c
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – point c
(c) supervising the performance of work or verifying the quality of the results of the work including by eleincluding by electronic means beyond what is required by law or reasonably necessary to safeguard health and safety or to ensure the essential functrionic means;ng of the service.
Amendment 649 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – point d
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – point d
(d) effectivelyDe facto restricting the freedom, including through sanctions, to organise one’s work, in particular the discretion to choose one’s working hours or periods of absence, to accept or to refuse tasks or to use subcontractors or substitutes;
Amendment 657 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – point e
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – point e
(e) effectivelyde facto restricting the possibility to build a client base or to perform work for any third party.
Amendment 726 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 4 a (new)
Article 4 a (new)
Article 4a Ensuring correct determination of the employment status should not prevent the improvement of working conditions of genuine self-employed persons performing platform work. Where a digital labour platform decides – on a purely voluntary basis or in agreement with the persons concerned or based on the Code of Conduct – to pay for social protection, accident insurance or other forms of insurance, training measures or similar benefits to self-employed persons working through that platform, those benefits as such should not be regarded as determining elements indicating the existence of an employment relationship.
Amendment 745 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 5 – paragraph 2
Article 5 – paragraph 2
Where the digital labour platform argues that the contractual relationship in question is not an employment relationship as defined by the law, collective agreements or practice in force in the Member State in question, with consideration to the case- law of the Court of Justice, the burden of proof shall be on the digital labour platform. Such proceedings shall not have suspensive effect on the application of the legal presumption.
Amendment 770 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 5 a (new)
Article 5 a (new)
Article 5a Improvement of working conditions for genuine self-employed persons performing platform work Ensuring correct determination of the employment status shall not prevent the improvement of working conditions of genuine self-employed persons performing platform work. Where a digital labour platform decides, in agreement with the persons concerned, to pay for social protection, accident insurance or other forms of insurance, training measures or similar benefits to self-employed persons working through that platform, those benefits as such shall not be regarded as determining elements indicating the existence of an employment relationship.
Amendment 842 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 6 a (new)
Article 6 a (new)
Article 6a Unless otherwise provided in this Directive or in the national law to which the platform operator is subject, in particular legislation concerning access to information, the platform operator shall not be obliged to disclose information which they have designated as confidential.
Amendment 882 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 8 – paragraph 2 – introductory part
Article 8 – paragraph 2 – introductory part
2. Where platform workers are not satisfied with the explanation or the written statement of reasons obtained or consider that the decision referred to in paragraph 1 infringes their rights, they shall have the right to request the digital labour platform to review that decision. The digital labour platform shall respond to such request by providing the platform worker with a substantiated reply without undue delay and in any event within one week of receiptin line with deadlines outlined in GDPR. That period may be extended by two further months where necessary, taking into account the complexity and number of the requests.
Amendment 904 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 9 – paragraph 1
Article 9 – paragraph 1
1. Without prejudice to the rights and obligations under Directive 2002/14/EC, Member States shall ensure information and consultation of platform workers’ representatives or, where there are no such representatives, of the platform workers concerned by digital labour platforms, onMember States shall ensure that Directive 2002/14/EC is applied to decisions likely to lead to the introduction of or substantial changes in the use of automated monitoring and decision-making systems referred to in Article 6(1), in accordance with this Article.
Amendment 910 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 9 – paragraph 2
Article 9 – paragraph 2
Amendment 913 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 9 – paragraph 3
Article 9 – paragraph 3
Amendment 934 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 11 – paragraph 1 c (new)
Article 11 – paragraph 1 c (new)
Member States shall ensure full portability of all health and social security contributions, made through platforms, irrespective of the employment classification, and non-discriminatory treatment of persons, engaged in platform work vis-a-vis any other self-employed person or worker.
Amendment 935 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 11 – paragraph 1 d (new)
Article 11 – paragraph 1 d (new)
Member States shall ensure that platform workers enjoy the right to data portability, including reputational data, (and the right not to transport those data), the right to rectification, erasure and to be forgotten in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/679;
Amendment 984 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 15 – paragraph 1
Article 15 – paragraph 1
Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that digital labour platforms createfacilitate the establishment of the possibility for persons performing platform work to contact and communicate with each other, and to be contacted by representatives of persons performing platform work, through the digital labour platforms’ digital infrastructure or similarly effective means, while complying with the obligations under Regulation (EU) 2016/679. Member States shall require digital labour platforms to refrain from accessing or monitoring those contacts and communicationswhile complying with the obligations under Regulation (EU) 2016/679.