02 November 2026
Employees without Employers
Working conditions in platform work show an “urgent need for action,” according to the Bundesrat. It recently called on the German government to present a draft bill to implement the Platform Work Directive before the 2 December 2026 deadline. Effective regulation in food delivery, the Bundesrat states, could be achieved by requiring platform workers to be employed directly by digital platforms. Indeed, such a prohibition on the use of subcontracted labour would be really helpful. Continue reading >>
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23 April 2026
Ein neues arbeitsrechtliches Regelungsinstrument
Als ab April 2020 in der Fleischindustrie massenhaft SARS-CoV-2 ausbrach, legte Arbeitsminister Hubertus Heil ein „Arbeitsschutzprogramm für die Fleischwirtschaft“ vor. Neu war vor allem das Direktanstellungsgebot. Die dagegen gerichtete Verfassungsbeschwerde wies das Bundesverfassungsgericht im Januar ab. Die jetzt veröffentlichten Gründe zeigen: Das Direktanstellungsgebot kann nun Teil des sozialpolitischen Instrumentariums des Arbeitnehmerschutzes werden. Continue reading >>
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13 June 2024
Reframing Harassment as Occupational Safety and Health Issue
In 2019, the International Labor Organization adopted the Convention No. 190 on Violence and Harassment at Work. The convention has been dubbed a milestone, since it implements a duty of each member state to address this topic through “an inclusive, integrated and gender-responsive approach”. This duty will apply to Germany from the 14th of June, when the convention enters into force. At the event of ratification, the German government expressed its opinion that “in order to meet the requirements of the Convention, no additions to national legislation are necessary.” We will demonstrate that this does not hold true. Continue reading >>10 May 2024
On the border, the war is relatively close
500 meters away from Poland. Continue reading >>
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10 May 2024
An der Grenze ist der Krieg relativ nah
500 Meter entfernt von Polen. Continue reading >>
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01 April 2024
Ein glühendes Stück Eisen
Nun haben wir es für die nächsten zwei Jahre erst einmal wieder hinter uns; die Streikphase in Bahnverkehr und ÖPNV ist vorbei. Wie aber in heftigen oder langen Streikphasen üblich, wurde auch in diesem Jahr die jahrzehntealte Debatte aufgenommen, ob nicht der Gesetzgeber das Streikrecht beschränken solle. Schließlich gibt es in Deutschland keine gesetzliche Regelung des Arbeitskampfrechts. Continue reading >>
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18 July 2023
A Timid Proposal
With the Council position of 12 June on the proposal for a EU Directive on improving working conditions in platform work, a presumption of employment status for digital platform work is now becoming the subject of trilogue negotiations. A lot could be said about the proposal, the process, and the innovation that would come with an EU Directive on platform work as such. This comment focuses on one central part of the proposal: the presumption of employment. The Commission’s and Council’s proposals suggest a well meant, but timid instrument. Given the already limited scope of te proposals in their definition of “digital labour platforms”, only the Parliament’s position that does not condition the presumption to any additional criteria is able to convince. Continue reading >>
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11 July 2022