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Portugal Takes On Uber

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Portugal Takes On Uber

B
Benzinga

301 Views • Oct 22, 2021

Description

Portugal has moved a step closer to ordering digital platforms such as Uber ($UBER@US) and Glovo to employ some of their drivers as staff with formal contracts and benefits, becoming the latest European nation to tackle the gig economy. The bill aims to grant thousands of gig workers rights as employees and not freelancers. If given the green light, it will be another win for unions worldwide fighting for better pay and benefits for those employed in the gig economy. Unbenefitted self-employment grew during the COVID-19 pandemic as people around the world needed goods and food delivered to their homes and millions of newly unemployed were eager to work. But many digital platform workers in Portugal and elsewhere say they are being exploited by companies that pay low wages and encourage long working hours while providing little social and health protection. "Fighting precarious employment is one of our top priorities," Portugal's Labor Minister Ana Mendes Godinho told a news conference.