A worker is any person who works in exchange for a wage or salary and who performs services or tasks for an employer. His/her employment is regulated by a written or verbal contract of service rather than a contract for services (i.e. “independent contractor”).

In broad terms EU law defines a “contract for services” or the provision of services as any self-employed economic activity which is normally provided for remuneration.

The traditional understanding of an industrial worker relied on the performance of services related to manufacturing, altering, cleaning, repairing, ornamenting, finishing, adapting for sale, breaking up or demolishing, transforming materials.

Other examples of industrial work appointed were the inclusion of electronic data processing telecommunication, electricity generation and/or distribution. While this definition is still applicable to many industries, especially in the least developed countries, the landscape of work relations is more complex and fragmented today and the nature of industrial tasks and jobs widened exponentially to include, among others, digital/creative services. An industrial worker can do, and usually does, more than manual work.

In the current labour market relations within the different industry sectors, and in particular in the EU, service providers and workers coexist and different realities are possible: workers with part time/ full time contracts, workers working remotely or in situ, service providers filling in for seasonal, creative, or intellectual property related tasks/assignments that also work with different companies, enterprises/ factories.