ILC114 - EU Statement - Standard-Setting Committee - Closing Statement

ILC114 - EU Statement - Standard-Setting Committee - Closing Statement

European Union

Statement

International Labour Conference
114^th session

(1^st June - 12^th June 2026)

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Standard-Setting Committee:

Realizing Decent Work in the Platform Economy

Closing Statement - Plenary

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Geneva, 11 June 2026

Thank you chair,

1. I speak on behalf of the EU and its Member States. Norway also aligns with this statement.

2. The Convention we plan to adopt is a crucial step in promoting decent work in the platform economy. We deeply regret that the procedure that led us to this Convention was not a reflection of tripartism and social dialogue as we know it and as it should be. Governments, who will be tasked with ratifying and implementing this Convention should not be presented with an agreement from social partners as a fait accompli but given the opportunity to engage in a meaningful way with the whole of the Convention. This was unacceptable and should absolutely not set a precedent for future discussions in this tripartite institution.

3. While far from perfect, this Convention is an important step forward to improve working conditions and data rights for people working on digital labour platforms.

4. We thank the Honourable Colin Jordan, Minister of Labour of Barbados for his leadership as the Chair for the 2026 ILC discussion.

5. We are also very grateful to the ILO Office for all their work, advice and expertise during the past two years.

6. We welcome the planned adoption of a Convention, and we are convinced that all necessary decisions will be taken and implemented as a follow-up to the adoption of this new instrument. We must express our regret that we were unable to conclude the Recommendation. We look forward to the Governing Body following up on this matter as soon as possible, with a view to having a Recommendation.

7. We'd like to underline some of the elements which we especially welcome in the Convention.

1. Firstly, the Convention gives Member States sufficient flexibility to implement, considering the established systems of the classification of persons, who are and who are not in an employment relationship. In order to prepare for possible ratification, we will now conduct a diligent analysis to determine if and which measures are appropriate to implement in their current national legal frameworks. According to the shared understanding of constituents, the instrument applies to digital labour platforms, which by default play a material role in the organisation of work, and the term 'facilitation of work' refers exclusively to work performed by persons that are not in an employment relationship.

2. Secondly, we welcome that the Convention maintains as a core element the obligation for the correct classification of digital platform workers, and refers to the well-established principle of the primacy of facts. This will help to combat miss-classification of workers and bogus-self-employment in the platform economy.

3. Thirdly, we thank the Committee, and all involved, that we have managed to address the use of automated systems as a defining feature of work via digital labour platforms. The Convention will ensure more transparency, fairness and accountability with regards to algorithmic management used by digital labour platforms, and that the use of automated systems is consistent with the fundamental principles and rights at work. This will help to effectively address significant risks, such as constant monitoring, risks to privacy, opaque decision-making and the potential misclassification of workers due to hidden forms of control, by helping people working via digital labour platforms better understand how tasks are allocated and prices are set.

4. Lastly, we welcome that the Convention establishes the principle of human review for decisions that severely affect digital platform workers as the main instrument to prevent or rectify rights infringements, by specifying that appropriate review must be done with human involvement.
At a time when multilateralism is being called into question, the ILO continues to promote decent work and social justice. The Convention we are about to adopt is a vital step in promoting decent work in the platform economy for millions of workers around the world. We can be proud to have contributed to this achievement.

Thank you, Chair.