Trade unions support the self-employed

There has been a rapid rise in the number of workers categorized as self-employed in recent years. In 2016, 30.5 million workers within the EU 28 Member States were self-employed. Access to social protection is one of the main issues for self-employed workers. Rights to protection like sick leave, unemployment benefits or parental/maternity leave often depend on the self-employed making additional contributions.

Ute Meyenberg, Eurocadres Vice President, in introducing a resolution to the General Assembly focusing on better trade union support for the self-employed stated: 'Eurocadres will back the self-employed, by challenging the status of the bogus self-employed, by highlighting the often precarious nature of their condition. And by supporting the establishment of rules which provide a common legal framework for self-employed workers'.

supporting the establishment of rules which provide a common legal framework for self-employed workers

Eurocadres adopted the resolution calling for fairer rights for self-employed persons. These include, among others; guaranteeing self-employed the human right to organise in a union with the right to collective bargaining; and ensuring equal rights between employees and the self-employed, particularly on access to social protection.

Read the full text here.