Problems faced by self-employed


One in 10 workers in the EU are now self-employed with no employees. But they have fewer rights than other employees, points out a new report from the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC).


The report, Trade unions protecting self-employed workers, was written by the Labour Research Department and sets out the current position of self-employed workers in Europe, calling for major changes. 


In some countries, the law prevents the self-employed from joining trade unions, while in others they cannot negotiate standard rates and working conditions through collective bargaining. And in many states they do not have access to social protection benefits such as sick leave, unemployment pay, parental leave and pensions. 


Thiébaut Weber of the ETUC said that unions “have opened their doors to the self-employed where it is allowed”, but “there also needs to be a change in the law in a number of countries”.

https://www.etuc.org/en/publication/trade-unions-protecting-self-employed-workers