Towards better working conditions for persons performing services through digital labour platforms

Abstract

Online platforms created new ways for people to make a living. Not only did they make it easier for small producers and resellers to fi nd potential clients via online marketplaces; they also created online markets for the provision of services. The example that usually comes to mind when thinking of this latter type of online platforms is Uber, but there is an enormous number of such platforms, and they are active in very different fi elds: passenger transport, food delivery, trans-lation, programming, proofreading, web design, etc. About 500 labour platforms appear to be active in the EU. These generally present themselves as mere intermediaries, offering a place where supply and demand for services can meet. They also stress the freedom of the service provider to organize its own work, to work when, where and as many hours as desired. In their view, this implies that the persons providing services via their platform are self-employed and not employees. Several studies indicated that 9 out 10 platforms classify their workers as self-employed. Another study found that most of these workers ‘ are genuinely autonomous in their work and can use platform work as a way to develop their entrepreneurial activities ’