Member states must broaden collective bargaining rights to include platform workers, extend paid sick leave and carers’ leave, and be afforded fiscal flexibility during the crisis under sweeping measures from rapporteur José Gusmão (Bloco de Esquerda, Portugal) approved by the European Parliament today. 

Part of the EU Employment Guidelines, Gusmão’s adopted text demands that only companies that are not registered in tax havens, that respect the applicable collective agreements, and that do not pay dividends or bonuses can apply for financial assistance from the SURE mechanism. 

Other measures under the comprehensive guidelines aimed at combating poverty include wage subsidies, income support, arrangements to work from home, and the strengthening of the Youth Guarantee.

“For many years, the guidelines for employment policies have been characterised by a systematic pressure to deregulate labour markets, precarious work and wage restraint. The guidelines that were adopted today constitute a complete reversal of the positions that have dominated the European institutions for many years,” Gusmão said after the results were announced. 

“I hope that this report and the broad support it has received from the European Parliament will help reverse this trend and contribute to the recovery of the levels of job protection that are essential, as this crisis has demonstrated.” 

“In a context where the Covid-19 crisis has been exacerbated by the prevalence of precarious work and the deregulation of the labour market, this report proposes an alternative path that is as clear as it is urgent,” he concluded.