Luxembourg's government faces mounting pressure to enhance protections for gig economy workers, as The Left's draft bill on false self-employment sparks debate amid pending EU directives.
Multinational gig economy companies, such as those providing taxi or food delivery services, continue facing criticism over the working conditions they create. Platform workers are often incorrectly classified as self-employed and end up not being entitled to the same rights and protections as employed people. EU regulators in April struck an agreement through the Platform Work Directive, which aims to improve conditions for workers across the Union.
In Luxembourg, The Left have been at the forefront of this issue, with one of their draft bills being discussed in the respective Chamber commission on Tuesday. In May 2022, the party had already presented legislation intended to prevent instances of false self-employment, including employment criteria.
Nevertheless, government officials on Tuesday underlined that they are committed to waiting for the EU directive before before enacting any national legislation. Labour Minister Georges Mischo acknowledged that the directive has been in the making for quite some time, but assured that its implementation is now imminent. The government thus plans to implement the directive promptly, but prefers not to go beyond its requirements.
Former Labour Minister and MP Georges Engel of the Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party (LSAP) criticised this approach, arguing that while a directive sets a minimum standard, it does not prevent governments from being more ambitious. Engel, along with The Left, believes Luxembourg should adopt stronger protections for platform workers.
For now, it remains unclear under which criteria a self-employed person would be classified as an employee in the future.
