News that global taxi and car-sharing operator Uber is expanding to Luxembourg broke early on Friday morning, and it did not take long for the first reactions to trickle in. “For us it is important that we do not ban it, but regulate it really well”, officials from the Luxembourg Socialist Workers’ Party (LSAP) argued at a press briefing hours after the announcement.
MP Taina Bofferding, who heads the LSAP parliamentary group in the Chamber of Deputies, elaborated that there should be clear rules for platform work in the Grand Duchy, including fair employment conditions and guaranteed social benefits for workers. She further drew attention to an EU directive on platform work, which was passed back in April, and stressed the importance of implementing it as soon as possible.
MP Georges Engel, the former labour minister, explained that he oversaw the creation of a respective draft bill during his time in office. The government simply has to open the right drawer, he stated at the briefing.
Engel also used the opportunity to address other workers’ rights concerns, such as consistent work schedules, the ability to work for multiple employers, remuneration, and the ability to establish a personal clientele. The MP further noted that there should be regular checks to ensure that employers adhere to said regulations.
The opposition lawmakers thus expressed hopes that the government’s response, in drafting and implementing comprehensive legislation, will be crucial in shaping the future of platform work in Luxembourg.
