Platform economy database
Database of initiatives and court cases in the EU
Eurofound’s platform economy database provides information on 386 initiatives and court cases that exist or have been implemented in relation to activities in the platform economy. The database was last updated in February 2024 and provides metadata for each entry, such as geographical scope, year, type of initiative, actors involved, sector and companies concerned. Initiatives include legal instruments such as legislative changes or court decisions, as well as voluntary interventions undertaken by different stakeholders to address issues around platform work.
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The database currently contains 386 entries and was last updated in February 2024.
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Austria
Scope of the Initiative (Änderung des Gelegenheitsverkehrsgesetzes erzielt (917/A)
The Federal coalition partners proposed and approved a legislation merging all ‘rental car business with passenger cars’ (for-hire) and ‘taxi business’ (taxi) into a new and unified business trade called ‘passenger transport trade with cars’ (Personenbeförderungsgewerbe mit Pkw). Consequently, for-hire car companies are required to follow the ‘stricter’ legislative requirements which taxi companies are subject to. This includes new operational requirements for drivers and importantly, a unified fare structure. All three political parties view the legislation as a positive step, discussing the transport companies with private cars as increasingly important to mobility, and as such, should have appropriate conditions for good working conditions, competition, and development.
In response to the Amendment, the Chamber of Commerce has forged coalitions (e.g. World Road Transport Organisation) to influence forthcoming regulatory amendments for the taxi and for-hire car markets.
Scale of the initiative
Uber and Bolt entered the Austrian market in 2014 as for-hire car companies. While their workers have been covered by the same peak-level collective agreement negotiated by the Chamber of Commerce and the Labour counterpart, both fall into a different legislative category due to their classification as for-hire car companies. The Amendment has homogenised the two services, making all actors in the market subject to the provision of the new regulation.
Strengths and Weaknesses
All Austrian coalition partners believe this is a positive amendment which meets demands from the social partners as well as taxi businesses. The resulting ‘level playing field’ described by Ministerial spokespeople frames the previous status quo as unacceptable and not conducive to fair market conditions. In particular, the amendment has been cited as improving conditions for doing business and encouraging innovation. Trade unions have also acknowledged that the legislation protects incumbent companies, preserving market conditions which allow for fair competition, for price setting and ride hailing. However, the Unions have also voiced their discomfort with platform mediators such as Uber and Bolt operating in Austria. In particular, union busting behaviour, bogus self-employment and poor working conditions are cited as issues which will not be resolved by the Amendment. Regionally, it is unclear how this federal legislative amendment will impact price-setting.
The platform economy is one of those moving targets, which, despite receiving increasing media and policy attention, has proven difficult to regulate. Given the heterogeneity of employment relationships, business models, types of platform work and cross-border issues, this is not surprising.
Technological change is accelerating as the capacity of electronic devices to digitally store, process and communicate information expands. Digitalisation is transforming the EU economy and labour markets: nearly one-third of EU workplaces are categorised as highly digitalised. What are the implications of the digital revolution for employment and work?
The rapid rise of the platform economy has led to a marked transformation of European labour markets, and existing regulatory frameworks and voluntary initiatives have yet to catch up. While platform work offers opportunities for workers and employers and potentially contributes to innovation, economic growth and competitiveness in the EU, it has been criticised from the beginning because of the poor employment and working conditions often experienced by workers.
While 2020 may come to be seen as the year platform work gathered pace and started to go mainstream – thanks in large part to COVID-19 containment measures sparking an increase in food and grocery delivery – 2021 could be the year that regulation of platform work is set in motion.
