EU ministers seek balance between workplace rights and competitiveness in 21st century jobs act

EU employment ministers discussed on Monday how to update labour standards for the digital age without undermining competitiveness. The planned Quality Jobs Act, which the European Commission intends to present in December, would establish common rules on disconnecting from remote work and limit the use of artificial intelligence in recruitment and performance monitoring. Speaking at the Council in Luxembourg, Portuguese labour minister Maria do Rosário Palma Ramalho said the law should “benefit both workers and businesses”. She stressed that human oversight is essential, especially where AI decides on recruitment or workers’ assessment. EU employment commissioner Roxana Mînzatu added that labour rules are needed alongside innovation to ensure “fair and transparent practices, respect for human workers’ rights … and effective social dialog”.

Earlier, at a conference organised by the centre-left S&D group in the European Parliament, Isabelle Schömann of the European Trade Union Confederation said: “This revolutionary technology has to be regulated.” She argued the Quality Jobs Act is needed to curb AI so it “delivers for all”. The draft law would also update outdated health and safety rules from 1989 and 1990, protect subcontractors, and create standards for working in heatwaves. Spanish labour minister Yolanda Díaz Pérez said ahead of the debate that “neither jobs nor businesses are jeopardised” and that EU legislators need to ensure minimum standards for extreme weather.