EU - Workers’ Rights for Deliveroo and Uber
European Union member states’ labor and social ministers agreed on regulations that determine when workers on platforms like Uber and Deliveroo should be classified as employees.
“Better working conditions for those delivering your meal at home!” the rotating Belgian EU presidency tweeted on X, formerly known as Twitter. Belgian officials mediated talks to pass the legislation in Brussels.
A statement from the European Council said the legislation set minimum protection standards for more than 28 million people across the EU working in the gig economy.
“This is the first-ever piece of EU legislation to regulate algorithmic management in the workplace and to set EU minimum standards to improve working conditions for millions of platform workers across the EU,” Belgian labor minister Pierre-Yves Dermagne said.
Although the regulation still needs to be passed by the European Parliament, this is considered likely.
Ride-hailing and courier service Uber had lobbied against the original draft rules and said any proposal must balance the differing requirements of drivers and couriers.
-www.dw.com, 11 March 2024
Arno's Commentary
Workers’ rights is a major contributor to Europe’s success. A worker well rested and well compensated will do a job well. JustWorks.com lists vacation days per country as following: France & Spain, 36 days; South Korea, 31 days; Germany, 30 days; UK, 28 days; Japan, 26 days. Thirty-six days is 7.2 weeks. Obviously, these are all paid holidays. Next comes sick days: Norway 50, Finland 47, Austria 45, Germany 44, Belgium 39. The United States federal government does not prescribe any paid holidays or sick days.
What is interesting in these figures is the tendency away from the Biblical mandate: “Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest” (Exodus 34:21a). In a number of EU countries, a four-day workweek is considered normal. Slowly but surely, man becomes master of his own domain. He works independently of his Creator. That tendency is expected to continue, based on Biblical examples. Take the leader of the first Gentile empire, “The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?” (Daniel 4:30). Immediately in the next verse, we read that a voice from heaven declared, “The kingdom is departed from thee.” At the height of his glory, Nebuchadnezzar was taken down.
In the last book of the Bible, the last church, Laodicea, proudly declares, “I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing” (Revelation 3:17). But God answers, “and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.”
For 2,000 years, the spirit of Antichrist has been building his kingdom on earth. It will be super-successful, albeit temporary.
Arno Froese is the executive director of Midnight Call Ministries and editor-in-chief of the acclaimed prophetic magazines Midnight Call and News From Israel. He has authored a number of well-received books, and has sponsored many prophecy conferences in the U.S., Canada, and Israel. His extensive travels have contributed to his keen insight into Bible prophecy, as he sees it from an international perspective.
