The European Commission has entered into further discussions with trade unions and employers’ organisations at EU level on how to modernise the rules on employment contracts, in order to make these contracts fairer and more predictable for all types of workers.
With this initiative, the Commission continues to roll out the European Pillar of Social Rights, aiming to create convergence between Member States towards better working and living conditions.
Valdis Dombrovskis, Vice-President responsible for the Euro, Social Dialogue, Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union said: “The role of the social partners is central for moving forward with the European Pillar of Social Rights. This is particularly the case when it comes to addressing challenges related to new forms of employment and providing adequate working conditions in atypical forms of employments. (…) 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”.
Marianne Thyssen, Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility, 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. (…) Ensuring fairer and more predictable employment contracts is a basis for fair working conditions across the EU. This is what we strive for with the European Pillar of Social Rights, which I hope will be proclaimed at the highest political level during the Summit for Fair Jobs and Growth in Gothenburg on 17 November.”
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 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.
