Savarankiškai dirbančių asmenų teisė į kolektyvines derybas ir teisė į streiką

LTStraipsnyje pateikiama savarankiškai dirbančių asmenų galimybės pasinaudoti kolektyvinėmis darbo teisėmis sisteminė analizė. Autorius nuosekliai apžvelgia šių asmenų padėties reglamentavimą nacionalinės, tarptautinės darbo teisės ir Europos Sąjungos teisės aspektu. Nemažas dėmesys skiriamas Europos Sąjungos Teisingumo Teismo praktikai, iliustruojančiai savarankiškai dirbančių asmenų ir darbuotojų statuso skirtumus (įskaitant 2020 m. sprendimą Yodel byloje). Galiausiai, įvertindamas didėjantį savarankiškai dirbančių asmenų skaičių ir identifikuotus jų turimų kolektyvinių darbo teisių nevienodumus, autorius pateikia aktualias reguliavimo perspektyvas. Reikšminiai žodžiai: savarankiškai dirbantys asmenys; kolektyvinės darbo teisės, asociacijų laisvė; kolektyvinės derybos; kolektyvinės sutartys; kolektyvinio poveikio priemonės; streikai; platformų darbuotojai. [Iš leidinio]

ENThis article provides a systematic analysis of the legal prerequisites and possibilities for self-employed persons to enjoy collective labour rights, such as freedom of association, right to collective bargaining, and right to collective action. Due to technological advances, an increasing number of people are opting for formal self-employment, however, their factual state often resembles the one of the employees (especially in the case of platform workers). Hence, there is an interest to explore where self-employed persons stand in terms of defending their rights collectively. The author gradually reveals how the legal status of self-employed, in particular regarding collective labour rights, has been regulated in the Republic of Lithuania, European Union as well as in the international labour law. It is also worth noting that a significant amount of them has been dedicated to the analysis of jurisprudence of the Court of Justice of the European Union to illustrate the differences between the self-employed and employees (workers). The analysis has shown rather contrasting approaches to the analysed matter. In the Republic of Lithuania, the question of collective rights for the selfemployed appears to be a grey area – self-employed persons are only mentioned in the context of tax law. There are several trade unions protecting self-employed persons, however, they have not attempted to exercise the right to collective bargaining or the right to action yet. International labour law organisations have already expressed the position that self-employed should be granted collective rights, thus de facto and de jure putting them in the same position as employees (workers). On the contrary, the European Court of Human Rights and, even more so, the Court of Justice of the European Union uphold a rather restrictive approach.The author foresees that the situation might develop in one of the following scenarios: either the legislator of the European Union will become more active in promoting the granting of collective rights for the self-employed, or the Court of Justice of the European Union will: (a) expand the concept of an ‘employee’; (b) recognise a new middle category of ‘economically dependent workers’; or (c) adopt a less strict interpretation of competition rules for some categories of self-employed persons who are in a weaker position. [From the publication]