Brussels looks to extend scope of EU rules on work contracts
Photo © jörn buchheim - Fotolia
(BRUSSELS) - The EU Commission is in talks with trades unions and employers' organisations on making rules on employment contracts fairer and more predictable for all types of workers.
The move continues the Commission's quest to create convergence between EU Member States towards better working and living conditions through its 'European Pillar of Social Rights'.
This is to the benefit of companies, said EC vice-president Valdis Dombrovskis: "Clear rules and common fair employment standards can ultimately protect companies that provide workers with adequate information on their working conditions," he said. "The Commission is mindful of the need to balance essential protection for workers with companies' scope for job creation and labour market innovation. That is what our proposal is about."
Employment Commissioner Marianne Thyssen added: "Workers have the right to be informed in writing at the start of employment about their rights and obligations. But millions of Europeans working in non-standard contracts are uncertain about their rights. I want all workers across the EU to be clearly covered by the basic rules, independent of their employment status, be them IT platform workers or delivery people. Ensuring fairer and more predictable employment contracts is a basis for fair working conditions across the EU," she said.
The Commission wants to broaden the scope of the current Directive on employment contracts (the so-called Written Statement Directive), extending it to new forms of employment, such as on-demand workers, voucher-based workers and platform workers, so that no one is left behind.
The current rules should also be modernised, taking account of developments on the labour market in the past decades. By improving the timeliness and information that is given at the start of an employment contract, workers will be better aware of their rights, and therefore more able to enforce these rights. For employers, bringing the rules up to date will bring more legal clarity and certainty and will avoid unfair competition.
Social partners will be able to share their views on the envisaged updates of EU legislation on employment contracts until 3 November 2017. The Commission aims to present a legislative proposal before the end of the year.
Updating EU rules on employment contracts - background guide
Second stage consultation on the Written Statement Directive