EU: EESC opinion – Precarious work and mental health

On 26 April, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) adopted an opinion, as requested by the upcoming Spanish Presidency of the EU, relating to the consequences of precarious working conditions on the mental health of workers (see Psychosocial risks). The Committee emphasises that precarious work “increases the chances of workers’ mental health deteriorating” and is incompatible with the achievement of sustainable development goals (SDG) in the EU. It is a “public health issue that has to be eradicated”. The following come within the definition of precarious work (see Precarious work): “involuntary part-time employment; long working hours or the obligation to be continuously available; low or unpredictable wages; abusive use of temporary contracts, zero-hour or on-demand contracts; non-contract work; and work without preventative measures”. The EESC proposes passing a directive to develop “the primary prevention of work-related psychosocial risks with an organisational and collective approach”. This would involve “eliminating or minimising these risks, by: 1/ responding to the results of the assessment of psychosocial risks; 2/ changing, at the source, working conditions that have been deemed to be harmful, using organisational measures to ensure that preventative measures do not focus solely on empowering and rehabilitating”. This opinion increases the pressure being exerted on the European Commission – which has announced an initiative in this area (see IR Notes 199) – both by the European Parliament (see IR Notes 190) and the European Trade Union Confederation, to put forward a specific directive aimed at combatting psychosocial risks.