Platform economy database
Database of initiatives and court cases in the EU
Eurofound’s platform economy database provides information on 393 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 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 393 entries and was last updated in August 2024.
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Austria,
Germany,
Sweden
FairCrowdWork is an online rating system for web and app-based platforms. It is a joint project of IG Metall (German metalworker’s union), the Austrian Chamber of Labour, the Austrian Trade Union Confederation and the Swedish white-collar union Unionen. FairCrowdWork shows profiles of various work-related platforms for which it has aggregated information from several sources, including:
The profiles give rating insights into pay, communication, evaluation systems, tasks and technology on various platforms. The data also include figures on hourly wages and the frequency of non-payment experiences.
The initiative seeks to provide a platform for people working through online platforms to share information on their working conditions. The information that is made public includes details on the respective platform, such as platform history, business model, worker classification, information on the work process or types of jobs. Besides, a section on ‘terms of service check’ is also included.
The initiative also seeks to popularise access to collective representation amongst platform workers and to better position trade unions towards representing the interests of workers on platforms.
In 2016 organisations participating in the initiative have signed the ‘The Frankfurt Declaration on Platform-Based Work’ which is a programmatic document calling for democracy in digital workplaces as well as clarity on the employment status of platform workers, transparency and social protection.
Strengths and weaknesses
The initiative has contributed to a better understanding of the platform work phenomenon by mapping working conditions for people working through platforms. It has also facilitated the development of a cross-national network of actors that exchange information on working conditions on platforms operating in different jurisdictions.
FairCrowdWork has also paved the way for subsequent initiatives, such as the Ombud’s office, which is an initiative set by IG-Metall, a German platform business association (the German Crowdsourcing Association) and eight European platform companies. The key role of the Ombuds office is to resolve disputes between people working through platforms, clients on platforms and the platforms themselves.
Despite these successes, the initiative did not translate into broader institutional changes that address the working conditions of platform workers. The initiative also relies on voluntary contributions from platform workers which limits its capacity to organise people who provide work through platforms.
The German Crowdsourcing Association (DCV) provides information to its members, which may be individual persons, companies and/or organisations and functions as an advocacy group on their behalf. The DCV’s webpage …
In cooperation with the German metalworkers’ union (IG Metall), several platforms and the German Crowdsourcing Association have established a joint Ombuds Office. Scope of the initiative The Office aims to …
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.
