The Portuguese Government presented a preliminary draft proposal for the transposition of the Platform Work Directive in July 2025 called ‘Work XXI’. The proposal would significantly weaken the current legal presumption of employment in the platform economy in Portugal, which was introduced in 2023, and it is questionable whether it would be compliant with the Platform Work Directive. The UGT union in Portugal has criticised the proposal, stating all of its proposals “favours the employers side” and includes “cuts in rights in central areas for workers and their representatives”.
The transposition of the Platform Work Directive remains under social consultation and the UGT union has presented an alternative proposal to ‘Work XXI’.