The Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (BMAS) held a range of events within the future-oriented dialogue „New Labor – New Security" that dealt with the future of labour and the welfare state. The topics included, among others, the social situation of (solo) self-employed persons. On March 7th, 2019, a professional workshop took place in the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs in Berlin, which revolved around the improvement of employment conditions for (solo) self-employed persons. Scholars, experts from relevant associations, and from the BMAS discussed possibilities to improve the (solo) self-employed persons' employment conditions and especially their income situation. Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Monika Schlachter, who already provided professional advice regarding the preparation of the workshop, moderated the event. Aside from discussing the expansion of labour law-based protection for certain self-employed persons and the advancement of the protection of home workers and quasi-subordinate persons, the participants debated the self-employed persons' possibilities to shape collective agreements. Dr. Thomas Klein, who holds the position of academic consultant at the IAAEU, presented on possible options based in procurement law that could improve pay conditions and proposed the implementation of industry-specific guaranteed minimum payments. Dr. Klein mentioned the German “Arbeitnehmerentsendegesetz” (Law on the Posting of Workers) and the “Mindestarbeitsbedingungengesetz” (Law on Minimum Working Conditions), which has ceased to be in force, as models for such regulations. Further, in the light of the growing importance of self-employed persons offering their services over online platforms (Crowdwork, Gigwork, etc.), he advocated for the operators of such platforms to carry liability in regard to fulfilling claims to remuneration. Here, too, the Law on the Posting of Workers could serve as a model.

For Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Monika Schlachter, Dr. Thomas Klein, and Dominik Leist - the IAAEU participants - the professional workshop provided interesting approaches for the current DFG research project “Crowdsourcing as a new form of labour organization”, which deals with the legal status of crowdworkers, of which the majority is self-employed.