by Matheus Beckmann and Sandra Hanisch, Zenjob
In a digital society, where technology is increasingly becoming an indispensable tool in our daily lives and especially in our working world, it is extremely important to pay attention to all the players and make sure that they have their rights ensured. The platform economy has grown enormously — in the European Union and around the world — and has also been greatly influenced by the Coronavirus pandemic in recent years. While many people have been able to protect themselves from possible infection thanks to the services provided by those working in the gig economy, many others have lost their jobs and have had to migrate to this sector to feed their families. With the tendency to grow even more, the platform economy is an area that has to be in the spotlight of the political, economic, and social discourse, and the important actors must show that conscious growth is the only option to guarantee wellbeing and sustainability of all involved.
We appreciate the Commission’s efforts and the recognition that this gives to platform work as an important issue in the debate about the working world of tomorrow. The proposed directive is proof that the European Union is taking action to promote better working conditions for platform workers. Addressing misclassification of employment status, ensuring algorithmic fairness and transparency, increasing the traceability of platform work and safeguarding collective representation and social dialogue are key elements to achieve this goal.
Concerning algorithmic management, the directive brings great measures for a fairer relationship between working platforms and the employees. We are especially happy to see that action is being taken to assure that automated systems should not put platform workers under physical or mental pressure to perform their work, which is significant progress for the wellbeing of the platform workers. The human element must not disappear altogether, because this is the only way we can ensure moral interaction in the platform economy. This fact is recognized by the Commission in the directive.
Nevertheless, there are a few aspects of the process and implementation of the directive that we need to look at critically. The digital labour platform sector is a pretty diverse area, with platforms doing all kinds of services, with different kinds of employment status, different levels of remuneration, and different levels of social rights granted. Some of the proposed measures could create a development that does not consider the diversity of platforms. Although the desire to define the employment status is legitimate and the Commission has engaged in several consultations with social partners, the decisions taken in the directive are not necessarily able to represent all stakeholders in the platform economy. The criteria used to determine employment status could result in too many self-employed workers losing their status and being forced into rigid and inflexible employment. Flexibility is the most important criterion for deciding on platform work and should not be taken away, at least from people who value precisely this aspect.
We need to enter an open and honest discussion to flexibilize our understanding of the employee status, which reflects the current demands of the world of labour. A world where a platform worker can have the autonomy to choose when, where, for whom, for how long, and for how much money to work, while still being protected under the umbrella of labour and social security rights, can be considered the ideal when it comes to the future of platform work. In conclusion, we are happy to see that the Commission is working towards better rights for platform workers, facing problems, and willing to find solutions. Now, we all have to come together to take the next necessary steps to assist the growth of the digital labour platform sector in a fair and conscience-based manner.
The opinions and views expressed in this publication are those of the authors. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of Reshaping Work.