Economy. (AM) A dozen countries led by Spain block the European ‘rider law’ on the grounds that it reduces rights
BRUSSELS, 8 (EUROPA PRESS)
Spain has led the block of ten countries that this Thursday has blocked the agreement on a European ‘Rider law’ considering that the common framework for platform workers included in the latest proposal for the agreement to 27 involved a reduction in labor rights .
Together with Spain, Germany, Belgium, Slovenia, Greece, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal and Romania have rejected the proposal. A refusal that, according to Belgian diplomatic sources, “is not going to change”, which will make it “difficult to reach an agreement”, since they consider that the text is not ambitious or protective enough.
A “firm” position that the Second Vice President and Minister of Labor, Yolanda Díaz, has already defended this Thursday in Brussels, when demanding that the central element of the directive be the correct classification of the people who work on the platforms.
“We want a strong, clear presumption of employment, without derogations, without exceptions”, insisted the minister, who recalled that the first proposal made by the European Commission reflected this, based on what is known as the Spanish ‘Rider law’, and which has now been “devalued” in the new text presented by the Czech Council Presidency.
However, Díaz has offered to work with the Swedish authorities, who will assume the rotating presidency of the Twenty-seven next January, to set up a directive “that represents real progress towards the social Europe that calls for European citizenship”.
On up to three occasions, the EU ministers of Labour, Employment and Social Affairs have debated their positions before proceeding to vote on a text that has been modified with amendments after lunch and which has finally been rejected by not reaching the necessary qualified majority to get ahead.
However, in the face of firm opposition from the blocking minority, the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs of the Czech Republic, who holds the Council’s rotating presidency, Marian Jurecka, has indicated that he believes that the agreement is “very close” because ” today there has been very little left” and he has revealed himself to be “optimistic” for “the people who need this regulation”.
Likewise, he has valued the “patience and efforts” of the ministers and has regretted that “despite the efforts”, they have not been able to reach an agreement of qualified majority in the file of platform workers.
Along the same lines, the European Commissioner for Employment and Social Affairs, Nicolas Schmit, has recognized that it is a “very complex” issue but has pointed out “important progress” which, in his opinion, may allow an agreement to be reached “in the coming months”.
