Spain, as the first EU country, recognizes couriers of delivery companies as employees / Article / LSM.lv

Spain was the first country in the European Union to announce on Thursday changes to the law that will recognize couriers from supply companies such as Deliveroo and UberEats as employees.

The Spanish Ministry of Employment said that this type of courier is now considered an employee, so they will receive appropriate protection. Such a decision was taken six months after the Spanish Government promised to clarify the legal status of couriers in supply companies, stating that they should be treated as workers and not as temporary workers.

In Spain, as in other countries, couriers have often complained about precarious working conditions and demanded that they be recognized as employees, which would give them various workers’ rights, including paid leave and sickness benefits.

This is the first change in the law in Europe to clearly regulate the status of this type of courier. On the rights of those working on such platforms is also meant at European Union level, The European Commission is launching a consultation with all stakeholders to address various issues.

Already last autumn, a proposal was submitted to ensure that delivery couriers have social protection. For example, the European Trade Union Confederation considers that a digital platform cannot be seen as merely an intermediary between the creator and the recipient of a good or service. It must therefore take responsibility for the well-being of its employees.

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