Platform economy database
Database of initiatives and court cases in the EU
Eurofound’s platform economy database provides information on 347 initiatives and court cases that exist or have been implemented in relation to activities in the platform economy. The database was last updated in August 2023 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 347 entries and was last updated in August 2023.
On 24 March 2023 the Supreme Court of the Netherlands upheld a ruling by the Amsterdam Court of Appeal, qualifying on-location platform-determined work by Deliveroo riders as employees. The Court ruled that while riders were engaged for work that had elements of a contract for services, for example, a ‘certain freedom to work whenever they wanted’…
In the Netherlands, the trade union Werkvereniging represents and mobilises workers regardless of their employment status. It advocates for a labour market and social security system that includes and benefits flexible workers, self-employed, workers on temporary employment contracts and workers in permanent employment. In this sense, it strives t…
The platform for self-employed entrepreneurs aims to strengthen independent entrepreneurship through lobbying, the creation of a support structure for entrepreneurs and the promotion of collaborations and networks at local, regional and national level. Among others, the organisation aspires to the modernisation of the current labour law. This is b…
In the Netherlands, food delivery riders affiliated to the food delivery platform Deliveroo set up an action group and tried to mobilise riders of similar platforms (Foodora, Uber Eats, Thuisbezorgd).
Among their main activities are protest marches organised during late 2017 against riders’ forced self-employment as per February 2018, as well as t…
12 records found
| Date | Title | Tags |
|---|---|---|
| 23 November 2021 | Regulations of Airbnb in the Netherlands
Initiative | On-location client-determined routine work |
|
| 23 November 2021 | ShareNL
Initiative | No platform work typology |
|
| 23 November 2021 | Court judgement on employment status (Uber)
Court ruling | On-location platform-determined routine work |
|
| 23 November 2021 | Court judgement on employment status (Deliveroo)
Court ruling | On-location platform-determined routine work |
|
| 23 November 2021 | Deliveroo strikes Netherlands and Belgium
Initiative | On-location platform-determined routine work |
|
| 22 January 2021 | Agreement to collaborate between FNV and Temper
Initiative | On-location platform-determined routine work |
|
| 21 January 2021 | ShareNL
Initiative | No platform work typology |
|
| 15 January 2021 | Giggin’ Policy Project
Initiative | No platform work typology |
|
| 16 January 2019 | FNV wins two lawsuits against Deliveroo (FNV wint twee rechtszaken tegen Deliveroo)
Court ruling | On-location client-determined moderately skilled work |
|
| 15 January 2019 | Court ruling: Federation of Dutch Trade Unions (FNV) against Deliveroo on employment status
Court ruling | On-location platform-determined routine work |
|
| 15 January 2019 | Court ruling: Federation of Dutch Trade Unions (FNV) against Deliveroo on collective agreement
Court ruling | On-location platform-determined routine work |
|
| 23 July 2018 | Deliverers not employed by meal delivery platform
Court ruling | On-location platform-determined routine work |
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.
