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.
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Germany
Liefern am Limit was founded in early 2018 and is the first works council that Deliveroo workers had created in Cologne, Germany. In August 2019, Deliveroo ceased its operation in Germany, but Liefern am Limit remains and continues to protect food delivery workers in Germany.
Scope of the initiative Interest in the initiative was widespread. Both Deliveroo workers, and workers from other platforms such as Foodora, used it to make the public aware of their concerns and working conditions. At the same time, the contact with the German Food, Beverages and Catering Union (Gewerkschaft Nahrung-Genuss-Gaststätten, NGG) was deepened.
Since November 2018, Liefern am Limit is an official partner of NGG to address working conditions in the food delivery industry. The organisation also supports other platform workers in the food delivery industry in Germany and organises regular networking and information events.
With the support of Liefern am Limit, works councils of Foodora were established in Cologne, Hamburg (together with Kiel and Bremen), Frankfurt (together with Offenbach), Nuremberg and Stuttgart. The aim is to establish further committees and thus make the concerns of the employees heard by platforms and society. Liefern am Limit also functions as mouthpiece of food delivery workers to the public, to NGOs, into the existing trade union structures of the NGG, and into politics. Concerns of the workforce were for example raised to the German Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.
Scale of the initiative Given the nature of the initiative, its scale is difficult to quantify through hard indicators. As of 2021, the Liefern am Limit Facebook page had 3,400 followers. Other social media accounts such as Instagram and Telegram are also used to share information about the initiative.
Strengths and weaknesses Liefern am Limit established cooperation with traditional trade unions which expanded the infrastructure of the initiative and provided access to training for both workers and workers’ representatives. Furthermore, the Liefern am Limit campaign for legal reforms has been largely successful due to the specialised knowledge that the founders of the initiative had around existing legislative gaps. To this extent, labour court disputes have been used to promote improvements in the working conditions of platform workers.
The initiative also contributes to improving the knowledge of traditional trade unions about working conditions of platform workers.
A key weakness of the initiative relates to the high level of turnover amongst riders which limits the growth potential of the initiative. Furthermore, the emerging practice of contracting riders through temporary work agencies for short periods of time inhibits the interest of riders in the initiative.
The following recent changes to this initiative have been recorded.
In August 2023, Liferando couriers organised a warning strike in Berlin, in front of the Liferando headquarters, demanding a collective agreement and the change in the current bonus system. The NGG union also demands a €15 hourly wage and a 13th month salary. In addition, the union also demands surcharges for deliveries on Sundays and public holidays.
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.
