Freelancers may get pension rights restored

A European Court of Justice ruling could see full union rights restored to tens of thousands of freelance workers denied such entitlements for more than a decade, according to the Irish Congress of Trade Unions.

Professions including doctors, bricklayers, actors and journalists will be studying the ruling closely.

Dutch trade unions had taken their case to the European court arguing the Dutch Competition Authority had incorrectly found their collective agreement to be contrary to competition law, having judged the freelance musicians concerned to be business ‘undertakings’ involved in price fixing, rather than workers bargaining collectively.