A new European Commission Green Paper could lead to a ‘full scale assault on the right to be self-employed’, it has been claimed.
The Professional Contractors Group (PCG) is urging UK freelancers and contractors to lobby the European Commission over the recent Green Paper on labour law.
According to the Commission ‘Four out of ten EU workers are now on non-standard contracts or self-employed and reality is rapidly outpacing regulation in the European workplace’.
The Green Paper states that ‘the modernization of labour law constitutes a key element for the success of the adaptability of workers and enterprises’.
However, the PCG believes that any proposals for refined labour law based on the paper would be ill-defined.
John Thomas, the PCG’s chief executive, believes the paper ‘misunderstands many aspects of modern working’.
“We must send the message to the Commission that labour law should be left to individual member states and it must not attempt to impose a one-size-fits-all labour market model across the EU,” he said.
“It’s why there is even greater urgency for the government to introduce new and clearer laws on employment status in the UK.”
Freelancers and those who are self-employed can submit their opinions by sending an email to empl-labour-law-green-paper@ec.europa.eu by March 31 when consultation closes.
© Crimson Business Ltd. 2007
