Platform economy database
Database of initiatives and court cases in the EU
Eurofound’s platform economy database provides information on 411 initiatives and court cases that exist or have been implemented in relation to activities in the platform economy. The database was last updated in March 2025 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.
The Labour Court No. 4 of Donostia-San Sebastián has ruled that there is a employment relationship between the company Glovo and 168 of its delivery riders. The Labour Inspectorate of Gipuzkoa initiated proceedings in April 2022 against Glovo prompting the General Treasury of the Social Security to file a lawsuit. The company was accused of faili…
Glovo (the Spanish unit of Delivery Hero) has announced that it will hire riders as full-time employees. This shift is intended to mitigate ongoing legal uncertainties and regulatory penalties previously faced by the company. The new model will be rolled out in more than 900 locations in Spain where Glovo operates, the company said, affecting abo…
As part of a royal decree law on June 28, 2023, the Spanish Government further modified the Land Transport Regulation (LOTT) to adjust criteria in the framework of rules which authorises use of VTCs in the country. The specificity's of regulating VTC is left to the 17 autonomous regions, but LOTT sets the national framework upon which decisions ar…
In Barcelona, Spain, professional association Elite Taxi has launched a public marketing campaign to convert platform ride hailing drivers (VTC) to become taxi drivers. The information campaign targets those working at platform companies Uber and Cabify, appealing to the better working conditions and pay on offer as a taxi driver. Slogans such as …
The Social Court number 15 in Barcelona has recognised the employment relationship between those in the occupation of cleaning and digital platform Clintu Online. The Court rules that the company, which is considered a digital platform for the provision of cleaning services, is not only an intermediary between cleaners and customers. Instead, it i…
The Catalan Government has passed a law in July 2022 which comes into force on 1 October 2022, limiting private hire platforms (VTCs) in Catalonia to limousines and passenger vans. The Decree Law is the first of its kind in Spain, delineating taxis and VTCs. This ruling is perceived as highly controversial with VTC operators stating this will cost…
In November 2022, the Observatory of Labour, Algorithm and Society (TAS) was launched in the city of Barcelona. The key aims of the observatory are to:
TAS brin…
In May 2022, the Spanish Ministry of Labour published a guidebook on the ways algorithms are being used in workplaces for hiring purposes, the determination of schedules, performance evaluation or productivity control. The objective of the publication is to provide an overview of all existing obligations and rights concerning algorithmic managemen…
In October 2021, the food delivery company Glovo announced the so-called ‘Couriers Pledge’. This new initiative sets new social standards for the platform which aim to secure fair working conditions. The pledge lays out standards for earnings, safety, communication and support for development opportunities. These standards are said to apply to all…
The first collective agreement for platform workers was signed in Spain between the trade union confederations CCOO and UGT, and the delivery platform Just Eat. It came into effect in January 2022. This follows the establishment of the Spanish Riders’ Law, which lays out that riders are to be considered employees due to their dependence on the pla…
The Riders’ law recognises food delivery riders working for digital platforms as employees rather than independent contractors under specific circumstances. It is the result of a tripartite collective bargaining agreement reached on 10 March 2021, between trade union CCOO (Workers’ Commission) and UGT (General Workers’ Confederation), employer org…
Theinitiativewas created by the Spanish trade union Unión General de Trabajadores (UGT), with the aim to support and organise workers in the platform economy. It aims to get more platform workers in standard employment contracts, arguing that 'autonomous' work relationships are highly risky for the employee in terms of social security and health i…
Asoriders is a non-profit association, formed by platform workers in Spain, and has the goal to support other platform workers in issues related to economic, contractual and legal challenges.
Scope of the initiative
ASORIDERS has three key objectives: to become the voice of riders willing to remain independent workers, to provide information and b…
35 records found
| Date | Title | Tags |
|---|---|---|
| 6 June 2024 | Constitutional Court of Spain rules VTC law of Madrid is legal
Court ruling | On-location platform-determined routine work |
|
| 14 February 2024 | Court ruling obliges Stuart to pay 237,000 euros for riders falsely declared as self-emlpoyed
Court ruling | On-location platform-determined routine work |
|
| 1 February 2024 | Valencian Court fines Cabify €60,000 for illegally subcontracting drivers
Court ruling | On-location platform-determined routine work |
|
| 1 May 2023 | Glovo riders win improved working conditions in Avilés after strike action
Initiative | On-location platform-determined routine work |
|
| 15 February 2023 | Basque Parliament condemns Glovo
Initiative | On-location platform-determined routine work |
|
| 24 January 2023 | Labour and Social Security Inspectorate (ITSS) fines Glovo €57 million for false categorisation of self-employed and engaging workers without work permits
Court ruling | On-location platform-determined routine work |
Tag Updated |
| 14 November 2022 | Pamplona employment Court rules in favour of employment status for 206 Glovo riders
Court ruling | On-location platform-determined routine work |
|
| 15 February 2022 | Code of Good Practice (Catalonia)
Initiative | No platform work typology |
|
| 11 February 2022 | Guerilla Translation cooperative
Initiative | Online client-determined specialist work |
|
| 11 February 2022 | La Sárria cooperative
Initiative | On-location platform-determined routine work |
|
| 11 February 2022 | Eraman cooperative
Initiative | On-location platform-determined routine work |
|
| 11 February 2022 | Botxo Riders cooperative
Initiative | On-location platform-determined routine work |
|
| 11 February 2022 | Zámpate Zaragoza cooperative
Initiative | On-location platform-determined routine work |
|
| 11 February 2022 | La Pájara cooperative
Initiative | On-location platform-determined routine work |
|
| 11 February 2022 | Huelva Vence cooperative
Initiative | On-location platform-determined routine work |
|
| 11 February 2022 | Mensakas cooperative
Initiative | On-location platform-determined routine work |
|
| 11 February 2022 | Ziclo-P cooperative
Initiative | On-location platform-determined routine work |
|
| 2 August 2021 | Supreme Court recognises collective dismissal of 4,000 delivery workers by Portier Eats Spain as unlawful
Court ruling | On-location platform-determined routine work |
|
| 4 February 2021 | Oviedo hosts the first macro-trial against Glovo in Asturias, with 150 distributors affected
Court ruling | On-location platform-determined routine work |
|
| 22 January 2021 | Adigital advocating for platform work flexibility in Spain
Initiative | On-location determined |
|
| 22 January 2021 | UGT - Manifesto of Intentions - Ride-hailing platforms
Initiative | On-location determined |
|
| 22 January 2021 | Deliveroo strike Spain
Initiative | On-location determined |
|
| 22 January 2021 | Madrid Labour Court Rules Deliveroo Riders Are Employees
Court ruling | On-location determined |
|
| 22 January 2021 | Registration of Amazon Flex deliverers
Court ruling | On-location platform-determined routine work |
Tag Updated |
| 21 January 2021 | Decree 1076/2017 on ride-hailing services (VTC) - Later overturned by Supreme Court
Legislation | On-location determined |
Tag Updated |
| 21 January 2021 | SharingEspaña (SHES)
Initiative | No platform work typology |
|
| 21 January 2021 | Make Yourself Visible! Campaign for Road Safety of Riders in Spain
Initiative | On-location determined |
|
| 21 January 2021 | CoopCycle
Initiative | On-location determined |
|
| 15 January 2021 | Giggin’ Policy Project
Initiative | No platform work typology |
|
| 12 January 2021 | New blow to the model of delivery cyclists: Social Security wins its biggest macro-judgment against Deliveroo
Court ruling | On-location platform-determined routine work |
|
| 17 December 2020 | Justice once again agrees with UGT: Glovo distributors are salaried employees
Court ruling | On-location platform-determined routine work |
|
| 18 November 2020 | Barcelona court rules in favour of employment relationship for 748 Deliveroo riders
Court ruling | On-location determined |
|
| 11 June 2019 | Barcelona Court Ruling: Deliveroo Riders Recognised as Employees -GCJ case - SJSO 2253/2019
Court ruling | On-location determined |
|
| 10 June 2019 | Valencia Court Rules Deliveroo Riders as Employees - GCJ case - SJSO 2892/2019
Court ruling | On-location determined |
|
| 21 January 2018 | Riders x Derechos (Riders for Rights)
Initiative | On-location determined |
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.
