At a petrol station in Oñati, Basque Country: 'wars of the imperialists, misery for the workers'

How Big Tech wrote secrecy into EU law to hide data centres’ environmental toll Environmental footprint of Europe's data centres kept secret after industry lobbying in a move legal experts warn could violate transparency rules.

'Microsoft and DigitalEurope, a lobby group whose members include Amazon, Google and Meta, secured a secrecy provision in EU law to block public access to critical information on data centres’ environmental impact'.

Scandalous & against the EU's own laws.
www.investigate-europe.eu/posts/big-te...

Die Uber-Lobby versucht die Umsetzung der EU-Plattform-Richtlinie so zu beeinflussen, dass Arbeitnehmer ihre Arbeitsrechte nicht einfordern können und in jahrelangen Gerichtsverfahren aufgerieben werden. Der Europäische Gewerkschaftsbund @etuc-ces.bsky.social liefert neue Rezepte dagegen.

Trump shock: Drivers hit by fuel price spike GEP Newsletter

All wars are also class wars, & the Iran war is no different.

In the gig economy, drivers are taking the full hit of rising fuel prices, reducing their take-home pay significantly.

Uber & co have so far offered workers nothing by way of relief for rising costs.
eomail5.com/web-version?...

The UK is not really a sovereign country.

If there is an agreement on this basis, it's the end of US hegemony in the Middle East, because Iran will police the Strait permanently. Iran will have come out of this war in a much stronger position than it started. In other words, Iran will have won.

Never forget that this was the official stance from Brussels 12 hours ago. Consistently on the wrong side of history.

If the US or Israel use nukes on Iran, everything needs to stop. Global general strike until Trump and Netanyahu are in the Hague.

You couldn't have a better illustration of how the legal system is failing workers than this, shocking...

bsky.app/profile/mell...

Its actually quite terrifying to think what the US and Israel are capable of in this war. If this is how desperate Trump is now, imagine if this goes on for a month, or even six months, longer. Not sure the use of a nuke has ever been closer in post-WW2 era. They must be stopped!

Podcast series: Counter-App GEP Newsletter

Interesting things happening in Italy. A criminal investigation into illegal labour practices at Glovo & Deliveroo may be extended to the big fast-food chains which systematically use platforms and are therefore complicit in their labour exploitation.

Latest newsletter: eomail5.com/web-version?...

Where are the leaders willing to speak out against Trump and say 'enough of the genocidal talk, respect Iran and give diplomacy a chance'?

Spineless European leaders should never have allowed this sort of rhetoric to become normalised, it puts us all on a path to destruction.

Counter-app (4/4): The Platform Work Directive The Counter-app series explores how app-based workers can counter the power of their algorithmic bosses. Each episode is based on cutting-edge research by the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) on platform work and how workers are resisting digitised exploitation. In the final episode of this mini-series, journalist and researcher Ben Wray takes a deep-dive into the EU's recent Platform Work Directive, which Member States must transpose into their national legal regimes by December 2026. The episode is based on 'The Platform Work Directive: Trade union guide to transposition', the fourth and final report of the ETUC's Fair Platforms project, a series of manuals on work in the platform economy. Interested in hearing other 'voices on the world of work'? Take a look back at previous seasons of etui.podcast. Acknowledgements Thanks to Martin Willems, Daniel Cruz and Silvia Rainone for their contributions to this episode. Credits GeenStijl (2023). 'Uber Files: "Ruthless greed and state failure", testifies whistleblower Mark MacGann'. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLjBzIgqVvk Timestamps 00:00 to 01:32: Introduction 1:33 to 04:52: Part 1 - The legal presumption of employment 04:53 to 08:46: Part 2 - Procedural laws 08:47 to 12:19: Part 3 - Intermediaries 12:20 to 14:47: Part 4 - Algorithmic management 14:48 to 20:24: Part 5 - Enforcement 2 0:25 to 20:54: Outro

Counter-app (4/4): The Platform Work Directive

The Counter-app series explores how app-based workers can counter the power of their algorithmic bosses. Each episode is based on cutting-edge research by the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) on platform work and how workers are resisting di

Visit the @etui.bsky.social podcast channel to access all four episodes of the Counter-App series.

And if you want to read the @etuc-ces.bsky.social research that the series was based on, you access it here: www.etuc.org/en/publicati...

The final episode of the Counter-App podcast series looks at the EU Platform Work Directive: What is the most worker-friendly way to transpose it into national law?

Have a listen!

bsky.app/profile/etui...

Chinese government bonds emerge as lone war haven Yields on China’s debt are down marginally since the start of the conflict while those of other major economies have risen

remarkable how every investor in this FT piece basically says:

a state that heavily controls capital, with a central bank subordinated to government priorities, is a safer heaven in the new geopolitical reality of petrowars

www.ft.com/content/7221...

The bitter whine of someone who knows he's lost the war and lost control of the Middle East.

I wrote this long read on the geopolitics of the green transition last year. It was already clear that US hegemony was tied to oil & gas production, the Iran war has simply clarified and sharpened the link between geopolitical power and energy sources.

www.tni.org/en/article/c...

This war may well be the beginning of the end of the fossil fuel age.

'It's modern-day slavery': Wolt strike in Cyprus GEP Newsletter

A week-long strike of Wolt riders in Cyprus shows just how brutal the food delivery industry is. Riders faced police violence, threats to their right to work, robo-firings, bonuses for strike breakers...I spoke to one of the riders to find out more 👇
eomail5.com/web-version?...

Iran is allowing Spanish transit through the Strait of Hormuz, on the basis that it considers Spain a country committed to international law.

It's morally and economically sound for other European countries to start showing the same commitment, pronto.

The real nuclear threat has always been the one country that has actually used nuclear weapons: the United States. The future of humanity depends on stopping them.

Very impressive Scottish Economics Festival in Edinburgh.

I'll be on tomorrow night talking capitalism and war - get tickets @scoteconfest.bsky.social.

General strike in the Basque Country today! Motorways are blocked!

For a minimum monthly income of €1,500 and for the minimum wage to be decided in the Basque Country, not at state level ✊✊✊

#M17GrebaOrokorra #HuelgaGeneralPaisVasco

bsky.app/profile/labb...

Looking forward to speaking at this on Saturday night about capitalism and war. Get a ticket if you are going to be around Edinburgh - we have a lot to talk about!

bsky.app/profile/scot...

Have a listen to the latest episode of Counter-App!

We look at the story of Sebastian Galassi, a rider who died at work and was 'robo-fired' almost 24 hours later.

bsky.app/profile/etui...

Counter-app (3/4): Platform Work is dangerous link: https://www.etuc.org/sites/default/files/publication/file/2026-02/ETUC%20Manual%20OSH.pdf Time stamps: 00:00 to 00:48: Introduction 00:49 to 08:10: Part 1: Sebastian Galassi’s story 08:11 to 14:01: Part 2: Psycho-social hazards 14:02 to 18:37: Part 3: How can we ensure health & safety in platform work? 18:38 to 19:08: Outro

Counter-app (3/4): Platform Work is dangerous

link: www.etuc.org/sites/defaul... Time stamps: 00:00 to 00:48: Introduction 00:49 to 08:10: Part 1: Sebastian Galassi’s story 08:11 to 14:01: Part 2: Psycho-social hazards 14:02 to 18:37: Part 3: How can we ensure health & safety in platform work? 18

This is the final of four studies I've worked on as part of the ETUC's Fair Platforms Project. You can access all of them here:

www.etuc.org/en/publicati...

ENDS

This is likely to be a once in a generation event where platform work laws are being written in 27 countries simultaneously. Hopefully this guide can be a useful resource for those seeking to influence the transposition process in favour of platform workers' rights.

This guide provides arguments for pushing back against the platform lobby. It lays out what transposition policies are favourable for platform workers to most easily access their rights. It also looks at what unions have to do after transposition to make best use of the new law.