On September 29, the European Commission has adopted its guidelines on how EU competition law applies to collective agreements on working conditions for solo self-employed workers. The guidelines set out the conditions under which certain self-employed workers can join together to bargain collectively without breaching EU competition rules.

With the guidelines, the EU Commission has made it possible for solo self-employed workers to be represented by trade unions with immediate effect in order to negotiate their own collective agreements.

In the field of performing arts, this applies to solo independent artists who reinforce the existing ensemble, such as opera singers, and production teams, such as directors, stage costume designers and choreographers. At the theater, many so-called guests work on service and work contracts. This puts them in a particularly unprotected position, so that contracts could be dictated to them individually and unilaterally by the theaters.

Guidelines (all languages)