#EUFridays by JEF Hungary #6
Fanni Anna Spitzmüller
Dec-10-2021
New EU proposal to get employee rights to more than 4 million gig economy workers arises
Brussels has taken the first steps to ensure Europe's gig workers enjoy the same labor rights as other traditional employees: the new draft legislation would improve the work status of millions of workers in the union area.
The proposals are an attempt to provide legal certainty, after European courts have been asked to settle about 100 disputes relating to these companies, relating to the long hours, uncertainty over being paid, physical exhaustion, lack of a safety net, absence of legal rights and an overall state of precariousness. The burden of proof on employment status would shift to companies, rather than the individuals that work for them. Until now, gig workers have had to go to court to prove they are employees, or risk being denied basic rights.
Nicolas Schmit, EU commissioner for jobs and social rights, stated that these companies “have used grey zones in our legislation [and] all possible ambiguities” to develop their business models, resulting in a “misclassification” of millions of workers.
According to the new proposals gig economy companies operating in the EU regions must ensure workers get the minimum wage, access to sick pay, holidays and other employment rights: all plans for new laws to crack down on fake self-employment. Workers would also gain rights over algorithms, to stop situations where people are denied jobs, working hours or even fired as a result of machines’ decisions.
Workers will also be able to obtain more information on how they are being supervised and evaluated, including by the clients they serve. Additionally, platforms will not be allowed to collect personal data that is not related to the workplace.
MoveEU, a body representing ride-hailing apps, argued that the new regulation could cost jobs. “Platform work is very diverse, and a one-size-fits-all approach could carry weight on the business model of platforms and ultimately negatively affect the many independent workers relying on them…”
The new directive will turn between 1.7 to 4.1 million gig workers into ordinary employees. The final number will depend on how many platforms meet at least two of five criteria to be deemed employer.
https://www.politico.eu/article/5-things-about-eu-gig-economy-plan/
The slow escalation of the Russian-Ukrainian situation
During the last couple of weeks the tension between Ukraine and a possible Russian occupation has risen.
Russia's military issued a warning to Ukraine, accusing Kyiv of gathering troops near the country's eastern border, while officials in Ukraine and the United States have also accused Russia of massing troops near the Ukrainian border. US intelligence officials have gathered that Russia has stationed about 70,000 soldiers near the Donbas region.
Western countries have expressed their concerns that the buildup could indicate a planned invasion by Russia, but these allegations were repeatedly denied by Russian officials. General Valery Gerasimov -- chief of the Russian General Staff -- called media reports about Russian forces “a lie” and stated that Ukraine is to blame for the escalating tensions: "Any provocations by Ukrainian authorities to settle the Donbas problems with force will be suppressed," he stated on Tursday.
President Joe Biden’s calls on Thursday night were the first direct conversations with the group since he held a two-hour video call with Vladimir Putin on Tuesday. During the virtual summit, he warned the Russian president about potential sanctions if he launched an offensive in Ukraine. On Thursday Biden has phoned the leaders of Ukraine and nine eastern European Nato states promising support if Russia attacks Ukraine and pledging to involve them in decisions about the region.
Generals of Ukraine say that in case of a Russian invasion they would have no hope of repelling it without a major infusion of military help from the West. “Unfortunately, Ukraine needs to be objective at this stage,” said General Kyrylo O. Budanov, the head of Ukraine’s military intelligence service. “There are not sufficient military resources for repelling a full-scale attack by Russia if it begins without the support of Western forces.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/09/world/europe/ukraine-military-russia-invasion.html
Meet the new German government: Olaf Scholz takes over from Angela Merkel as chancellor
On Wednesday, December 8th, Olaf Scholz has been sworn in as Germany's new chancellor, formally taking power after Angela Merkel's historic 16 years as leader. Scholz’s new government will be made up by both the Greens and the Free Democratic Party (FDP), as well as his own Social Democratic Party (SPD). What unites them, they claim, is a determination to modernize Germany, while preserving the country's treasured stability. All 16 ministers took the oath of office on Wednesday, becoming Germany's first cabinet to include as many women as men.
The Socialist Chancellor and his coalition partners have some big boots to fill, leaving question marks over how much Germany’s approach to key European issues will change. The new government has ambitious plans to fight climate change by phasing out coal early and focusing on renewable energy, but their initial priority will be tackling the coronavirus pandemic. The immediate challenges for the new government are tackling the coronavirus pandemic, the threat of a Russian invasion on Ukraine, navigating through foreign policies (especially with China, Hungary and Poland), their ambitious plans to fight climate change, and the issues of migration.
https://www.dw.com/en/what-are-the-main-tasks-for-olaf-scholz-and-germanys-new-government/a-59936373
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-59575773
https://www.politico.eu/article/meet-germany-new-government-scholz-cabinet/
https://www.euronews.com/2021/12/07/what-will-germany-s-new-government-mean-for-the-eu