We have produced a four-part series of podcasts via the European Trade Union Institute called 'Counter-App'. The name was inspired by tech writer Cory Doctorow's label for data tools designed for platform workers to "seize the means of computation from their bosses".
In episode 1, we explore how platform workers can 'negotiate the algorithm': restricting and controlling the use of algorithmic management systems at work. We hear from gig workers about what sort of problems they face from algorithmic management and we look at case studies - from Switzerland to the US - of the strategies and tactics workers have used to effectively resist the algorithmic power of the platforms.
Episode 2 looks at how vulnerable different industries are to 'Uberisation', whereby the digital labour platform model becomes a significant way of organising work. We hear about Lithuanian teachers working on platforms from home, union busting at agency work platforms in the Netherlands, and the increasing significance of data annotation work across a vast swath of industries in Europe as generative AI is rolled-out.
The third episode explores the risks to platform workers' physical and mental health. We speak to a food delivery trade union organiser in Florence, Italy, about the death of rider Sebastian Galassi and subsequent protests from riders declaring that their "life is worth more than a sandwich".
In the final episode, we take a look at the EU Platform Work Directive. We hear about the experiences of platform work laws in Belgium and Spain, and look at the recent criminal investigations into the food delivery sector in Italy, to identify what are the key policies to ensure the transposition of the Directive is as worker-friendly as possible.
We hope that Counter-App provides insight into the real hardships which platform workers are facing. But more importantly, we hope it gives motivation to those who want to do something about it, inspired by the examples across Europe and beyond of worker resistance and victories. As a 19th century philosopher who fancied himself as a bit of an activist once said, "the philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various ways; the point, however, is to change it".
Ben Wray, Gig Economy Project co-ordinator |
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Gig Economy news round-up |
LUXEMBOURG INTRODUCES BILL TO TRANSPOSE PLATFORM WORK DIRECTIVE: The Luxembourg government has published a Bill to transpose the Platform Work Directive. The Bill, which still has to be passed by the Parliament, proposes a legal presumption of employment in the platform economy which can be triggered if three of 13 criteria are met. The criteria includes that the platform "determines or caps the remuneration", "supervises the quality and performance of the work", and "sets the conditions of access to the services". The Labour and Mines Inspectorate (ITM) can carry out an administrative procedure when they believe three of the criteria is triggered, meaning that it is not necessary to go through the labour courts. The Bill also establishes a system of joint and several liability in cases where platforms work with intermediaries. However, if ITM do not believe three of the criteria are met, any employment re-classification case would have to go to the labour courts. In case of infringements of the law, fines of between €1,000 and €25,000 can be levied. Fines can be doubled for repeat offences. In the case of a serious infringement, the director of ITM can issue a stop work order. Read more here. GERMANY WILL NOT INCLUDE A DIRECT EMPLOYMENT MANDATE IN PLATFORM WORK LAW, LAWYER SAYS: The German Government has decided not to require platforms to employ workers directly after a platform lobbying offensive, according to a leading lawyer representing workers in Germany's gig economy. German Labour Minister Bärbel Bas had said that prohibiting sub-contracting was "the only chance to bring in more transparency and to offer security for the employees themselves," but the Labour Ministry later said that such a measure would be a "last resort". Martin Bechert, who has represented many food delivery couriers organised through Works' Councils in Berlin including at Lieferando and Wolt, told 'NetzPolitik' that the Labour Ministry has decided not to pursue a direct employment mandate when transposing the Platform Work Directive, stating: "The direct employment requirement will not come. With the European directive, the platforms have done good lobbying, which is why the level of protection has been lowered further and further until it does not really solve the problem." Bechert added that the minimum the government can now do is "implement the joint and several liability cleanly as the next step". The roll-out of sub-contracting at Lieferando since last summer has seen illegal labour practices proliferate, with some riders being pressured to work on-demand by subcontracting firms. "No one can say that the working conditions of subcontractors are good or close to legal," Bechert added. The news comes as Lieferando Workers' Collectives in Berlin, Frankfurt and Nuremberg launched a petition for a direct employment mandate for food delivery platforms to "put an end to this inhumane suffering". Read more here. DELIVEROO AND GLOVO INVESTIGATIONS COULD EXTEND TO FAST FOOD CHAINS IN ITALY: The Milan Public Prosecutors Office has taken partial control of Glovo and Deliveroo in Italy to address alleged illegal labour practices at the platforms, and the investigation may now extend to the fast food restaurant chains which systematically make use of the platforms. Wired Italia reports that the the prosecutor Paolo Storari has now asked for documents pertaining to seven big restaurant chains which have contracts with food delivery platforms: McDonald's, Burger King, Esselunga, Crai, Poke House, Carrefour and Kfc. The prosecutor wants to know if these firms have put in place adequate controls to prevent exploitation. The Filcams Cgil union, which represents hotel and restaurant workers, say the investigation is necessary because the restaurant forms part of the "supply chain" of the food delivery labour process. "When a company, in this case Burger King, makes structural use of a platform like Glovo, it must also be vigilant about its obligations, including an issue of rights and especially remuneration," the union stated. In two reports from the Milan public prosecutors which included direct evidence from riders, they found that riders could earn up to 90% below the minimum wage and were bogus self-employed. An administrator has been appointed to directly address labour exploitation within the platforms, which have stated that they are cooperating with the authorities. Read more here. WOLT FOOD DELIVERY COURIERS STRIKE IN COPENHAGEN: Riders at Wolt organised a one day strike in Copenhagen on Tuesday [31 March], demanding higher pay. The riders are hired on a (bogus) self-employed basis and the strike was organised informally via an assembly of the workers. The assembly decided to focus on the problem of the falling price of orders, which they believe had been influenced by Just Eat's recent decision to exit the Danish market, reducing competition in the market. The striking riders organised a collective mass testing of the algorithm, whereby they congregated in one area of Copenhagen and rejected orders to see if they could affect a price surge. Prices did rise 40%, although it may have been influenced by the fact that there was a Danish national football match that evening. The riders organised a protest caravan to the Wolt offices in Copenhagen. They expected 30 riders to participate, and 150 showed up. The riders plan to organise future actions, including potentially targeted pickets of restaurants. Read more here. BRUSSELS DRIVERS STRIKE TO BE "FREE" OF THE PLATFORMS: Ride hail drivers in Brussels took strike action in Brussels on Thursday [2 April], demanding a minimum net income. The drivers, which primarily work for Uber but also Bolt and Heetch, a local taxi platform, and say that the commission which the platforms take is reaching 30 to 35% regularly, and sometimes is higher due to the 'dynamic' nature of the pay system. Asmaa Snaibi, spokeswoman for the Union des Chauffeurs de Limousine Belge (UCLB), said: "We no longer want to depend on platforms to work. We want to be able to generate income by being free." Rachid, another driver in UCLB, said that the situation was becoming unsustainable for drivers, with some working 18 hours a day to earn enough to live. "On a €10 trip, we only have €1 left," he said, referring to the costs which they face, including rising fuel prices. More than a hundred drivers participated in the protests on the strike, with a delegation invited to the Belgian Parliament to speak to politicians and ministers. Read more here.
Have we missed something important? You can help keep us informed about what's going in the gig economy in Europe by e-mailing GEP@BraveNewEurope.com. |
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Elias Visontay reports in the Sunday Morning Herald about the impact of Uber's dynamic pricing for customers. |
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The next webinar of the European Campaign for Decent Platform Work will hear from Maria Laura Birgillito, lecturer in labour law at the Complutense University of Madrid, discussing Article 3 of the Platform Work Directive on intermediaries, April 17, 10.30-12 CET. Register here.
P-Will Cost Action is organising a conference in Prague on 30 June titled ' Mapping the Transformation: Intersectional Analysis of Platform Work and the Shifting Labor Landscape'. It is a hybrid event. Click here for details |
Contact project co-ordinator Ben Wray at GEP@BraveNewEurope.com with news, events, ideas, feedback...whatever you think might be useful.
And if you like the Gig Economy Project newsletter, why not get your friends and colleagues to subscribe? Here's the link. |
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