Digital workers: MEPs ready for talks on new law to improve working conditions

On Thursday, Parliament approved the decision to start negotiations on new measures to improve conditions for workers on digital labour platforms.

376 MEPs voted in favour of the mandate for talks with member states, 212 voted against and 15 abstained. Negotiations on the new law can start once member states decide on their own position.

The new rules would regulate how to correctly determine the employment status of platform workers and how digital labour platforms should use algorithms and artificial intelligence to monitor and evaluate workers.

Background

The mandate for negotiations was announced in plenary by President Metsola on Monday 16 January. Since one tenth of MEPs (made up of one or more political groups or individual Members, or a combination of the two) objected to it within 24 hours, a vote was required by the full house (Rule 71).