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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Spain
In Avilés, the Asturias region of Spain, 30 Glovo riders took industrial action and organized a strike for pay parity with their counterparts working for Glovo in the Asturias urban centre. Threatening an indefinite strike from 08 May 2023, the workers took to the streets on 01 May 2023 for one day of industrial action. During this day, Glovo had to suspend its app service as all their riders were taking part in the strike. The week following the strikes on 01 May 2023, Glovo negotiated with the workers who agreed not to strike during negotiations as a sign of good faith bargaining. As a result of negotiations, the workers received an offer which met their expectations and not further industrial action was taken.
The dispute arose due to workers discontent with uneven pricing between areas of the region. In Avilés the base rate was €1.10, while in urban areas such as Corvera the base rate was €1.40.
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.
