Uber publishes white paper ahead of EU review on platform workers’ rights

Uber released the white paper ‘A Better Deal’, aiming to defend the contractor regime for drivers in the EU. Uber urged European policymakers to establish protections for platform workers while still maintaining them as independent contractors. The platform suggested that the bloc could adopt legislation similar to California’s Proposition 22 that entered into force in 2020. The company alleges the contractor work regime brings more flexibility to the drivers and increases job creation, while claiming this ‘third way’ compromise would provide workers with some protections without reclassifying them as employees. Uber shared the white paper with EU officials, according to Reuters. The move comes ahead of a review from the European Commission on 24 February 2021, which aims to set out the groundwork for further regulation of working conditions in the platform economy.