The Italian Government has developed a proposal for the transposition of the EU Platform Work Directive, although the contents of the proposal have not yet been fully published.
In a press release issued on 24 July 2026, the Government stated that the transposition proposal extends a previous presumption of employment for food delivery couriers announced in the 1 May Decree to all persons performing platform work. The 1 May Decree presumption stated that: “When there are indications of control or external direction exercised, including through algorithmic management, the employment relationship is presumed to be of a subordinate nature, unless proven otherwise.” The same presumption also applies to workers hired via sub-contractors.
The transposition proposal also includes restrictions on what data can be collected from PPPWs, human supervision, the adoption of corrective measures and the right to an explanation of decisions taken by automated systems.
“Now begins the parliamentary confrontation phase and the one with the social partners, which we will meet next week,” said the Minister of Labor and Social Policies, Marina Calderone, speaking at the press conference after the Council of Ministers.
The CGIL union published a statement on the proposal expressing their unhappiness about the lack of consultation with social partners before the publication of the proposal. Maria Grazia Gabrielli, confederal secretary of CGIL, said that based on the information they had about the proposal “a double track seems to be outlined: on the one hand, an extension of information obligations for all categories of workers in terms of algorithmic control, privacy protection and human review of decisions; on the other hand, a limitation of the recognition of subordinate work with regard to labour and health and safety aspects”.
Gabrielli added on the issue of employment classification that the proposal appeared to refer to a need for certification commissions and specific indices for triggering the presumption, “two relevant aspects that, if confirmed, would represent a setback and a risk of exclusion from protection for a significant part of workers”.
“The evaluation can only be carried out in the light of the final text of the legislative decree,” Gabrielli added. !However, the failure to provide for a discussion with the trade union organisations before the [proposal] of the Council of Ministers is already a denial of the methods of intervention provided for in the directive.”