Uhlerova: KOZ Disagrees with Wording of Digital Platform Work Bill

Bratislava, 4 May (TASR) - The Trade Union Confederation (KOZ) has opposed the current wording of the bill on work via digital labour platforms, KOZ President Monika Uhlerova told a press conference following Monday's meeting of the Economic and Social Council, adding that KOZ also disagreed with a guideline stating that 8 May and 15 September of this year are to be treated as regular working days. "On behalf of the Trade Union Confederation, we presented fundamental comments regarding the first item on the agenda concerning the bill on employees or people working for platforms. At this moment, the Labour, Social Affairs and the Family Ministry only wants to follow the scope of the European directive, she said. However, prior to the interdepartmental review procedure, the proposal provided a much higher level of protection to persons working for platforms, according to Uhlerova. "Which is what we supported, and it was also based on our long-term pressure regarding the shape of the European directive already at the European level," she explained. Under the original proposal, individuals working under digital platforms were allowed to unionise and engage in collective bargaining, while the proposal also introduced an obligation to provide various equipment for occupational health and safety. "However, after the interdepartmental review, these attributes were left out from the bill. Therefore, we did not agree with this amendment at this stage; instead, we suggested that it should be submitted for further legislative process only after our comments are incorporated," stressed Uhlerova. According to her, KOZ also disagreed with the guideline that 8 May and 15 September 2026 will be considered regular working days, during which employers can order work as during a standard working day, while in the event of employee's absence, the day is to be counted as leave. She explained that the manner in which legislation was superseded by the ministry's guideline is not acceptable for KOZ. jrg