Riigikogu discussed problems related to platform work

NordenBladet —

Minister of Economic Affairs and Information Technology Tiit Riisalo replied to the interpellation concerning the Platform Work Directive (No 629), submitted by Members of the Riigikogu Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvart, Lauri Laats, Andrei Korobeinik, Aleksandr Tšaplõgin, Aleksei Jevgrafov and Vadim Belobrovtsev.

The interpellators wished to know the essential reasons why Estonia had not supported the Platform Work Directive at the first voting and what meetings there had been with representatives of Bolt and what had been discussed at the meetings.

Riisalo explained that the public schedule of the meetings of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications included the meeting of the former Deputy Secretary-General for Economic Development with Bolt on 6 June 2023 to discuss the Platform Work Directive and the EU’s Mobility Strategy. The Deputy Secretary-General of Labour, who at that time had been within the structure of the Ministry of Social Affairs and not the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications, had also participated in the meeting. Two experts from the Department of Business had also participated. “As far as I know, no more meetings on this issue with Bolt have taken place,” Riisalo said.

He explained that Estonia’s positions on the platform work initiative had been approved at a Government meeting, in the Social Affairs Committee and in the European Union Affairs Committee about two years ago.

The general approach of the draft had been approved in the EU on 12 June 2023. Its text had set out the criteria to be met in order that a person working via a platform would be categorised as an employment contract employee and those criteria had been very easy to meet. Estonia had abstained already at that point according to positions that had been approved earlier, in so far as Estonia’s aim had been that it would be impossible to presume a contract of employment in unjustified cases.

According to Riisalo, Estonia had not been convinced that the conditions for the establishment of a legal precondition for a contract of employment would have guaranteed sufficient legal certainty.

Riisalo said in justification that Estonia had supported the Platform Work Directive at the second voting in the Council of the European Union in connection with the fact that throughout the entire process a compromise had been sought and various articles of the directive had been changing. “The countries who had abstained from voting earlier wished greater legal clarity and there was a possibility in the air that on France’s initiative certain further specifications regarding the legal precondition for a contract of employment would be included in the text which would have reduced legal ambiguity,” Riisalo explained. He added that by the time of the voting in March it had been clear that they would not go through because the parliament had not wished to open the text again. “We supported the proposal that platform work would be more clearly regulated across the European Union and clear and dignified working conditions would be ensured to the increasing number of platform workers.”

The Riigikogu passed a Resolution

The Resolution of the Riigikogu “Making a Proposal to the Government of the Republic not to recognise the  results of the presidential election in the Russian Federation” (395 OE), submitted by Isamaa Parliamentary Group, made a proposal to the Government not to recognise the  results of the presidential election in Russia.

During the debate, Ester Karuse and Jaak Valge (Estonian Conservative People’s Party) took the floor.

62 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of passing the Resolution and one was against.

Three draft Resolutions were rejected at the first reading

The Draft Resolution of the Riigikogu “Making a proposal to the Government of the Republic to implement effective measures to protect minors from coming into contact with pornography” (409 OE), submitted by the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group, was intended to make a proposal to the Government to ensure that the offering of works which contain pornography would have to be organised in a manner which would prevent examination of such works by minors as is provided for in the Act to Regulate Dissemination of Works which Contain Pornography or Promote Violence or Cruelty.

16 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of the passage of the Resolution and 34 were against. The draft Resolution was dropped from the legislative proceedings.

The Draft Resolution of the Riigikogu “Making a proposal to the Government of the Republic to revoke the decision of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on closing down the Consulate of the Republic of Estonia in San Francisco“ (396 OE), submitted by the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group, made a proposal to the Government to revoke the decision on closing down the consulate of Estonia in San Francisco.

The Resolution was not passed, because 13 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour but the support of at least 51 members would have been needed. The draft Resolution was dropped from the legislative proceedings.

The Draft Resolution of the Riigikogu “Making a proposal to the Government of the Republic to obligate all reservists to permanently keep at home firearms with a sufficient amount of ammunition, and to provide financial assistance to reservists for this where necessary” (331 OE), submitted by the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group. The explanatory memorandum justified the proposal by pointing out that Estonia’s primary defence capability should be increased in view of the recent terrorist attack against peaceful citizens in Israel which Israeli citizens had managed to counter because they had protective equipment at home, as well as having regard to Estonia’s aggressive eastern neighbour and its conquering activities.

The Resolution was not passed, because 13 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour but the support of at least 51 members would have been needed. The draft Resolution was dropped from the legislative proceedings.

The Riigikogu discussed a written request to express no confidence in Minister of Economic Affairs and Information Technology Tiit Riisalo, submitted by 22 members of the Riigikogu. The request was not supported.  

23 members of the Riigikogu supported the vote of no confidence in Riisalo and 53 voted against it. At least 51 votes would have been needed to express no confidence in the minister.

Rain Epler took the floor during the open microphone.

The sitting ended at 9.58 p.m.

Verbatim record of the sitting (in Estonian)

Photos (Author: Erik Peinar / Chancellery of the Riigikogu)

Video recording will be available to watch later on the Riigikogu YouTube channel.

Riigikogu Press Service
Gunnar Paal
+372 631 6351, +372 5190 2837
gunnar.paal@riigikogu.ee
Questions: press@riigikogu.ee

Link uudisele: Riigikogu discussed problems related to platform work

Source: Parliament of Estonia