MUNICH (dpa-AFX) – The labor and social affairs ministers of Germany's federal states have voiced their support for a mandatory direct employment requirement for food delivery services. At the Conference of Labor and Social Affairs Ministers (ASKM), a majority approved a corresponding motion submitted by several states, as confirmed by the Bavarian Ministry of Labor, which currently holds the chairmanship. The topic under discussion was "Creating Fair Working Conditions in Platform Work."
The aim of the proposal is to provide effective protection for drivers in the so-called platform economy and to put an end to precarious subcontractor structures, said Bremen's Senator for Labor, Claudia Schilling (SPD), one of the motion's supporters. "We want drivers in platform work to be directly employed, without circumvention through subcontractors," she stated.
Applying Lessons from the Meat and Parcel Industries
"Working conditions in platform work, especially in food delivery services, are often characterized by temporary contracts, low pay, and a high level of dependency on digital platforms," criticized Lower Saxony's Labor Minister Andreas Philippi (SPD). He noted an increasing use of subcontractors or seemingly self-employed drivers. In reality, however, these drivers are tightly integrated into the companies' operations, subject to their instructions, time constraints, and digital monitoring by the platform. In particular, food delivery services have been reducing permanent employment in this manner, he said.
Philippi therefore proposes "transferring the experience gained in dealing with the meat industry and the parcel delivery sector to the platform economy." In those sectors, the Occupational Health and Safety Control Act, with its statutory ban on contract work and mandatory direct employment requirements, has led to "noticeable improvements," he said.
NGG Welcomes the Proposal
The NGG trade union welcomed the decision. "This shows that our years-long fight for good working conditions was not in vain," said chairman Guido Zeitler. The union called on the federal government to act without delay. "We finally need clear rules to prevent companies from systematically outsourcing responsibility." The repeated reports of serious violations in the sector – from circumventing the minimum wage and inadequate safety standards to disregarding co-determination rights – make it clear that binding legal requirements are necessary./ruc/DP/zb
