- Date
- 6 November 2025
- Country
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Spain
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Geographical scope
- National
- Type
-
Description
The Minister of Labour Yolanda Díaz announced a campaign in Spain's Congress of Deputies. The Labour Inspectorate will investigate the use of algorithms by technology companies, including digital labour platforms such as Uber and Cabify, on their workforce. The investigation aims to guarantee worker rights.
Díaz confirmed the campaign is underway, though the Ministry of Labour has not yet provided details on its scale. She framed the action within Spain's changing economy. Employment is growing in sectors like programming.
In this context, the Labour Minister added that her department wants “to take a step forward to guarantee quality employment in tech companies in our country. Díaz lamented: “They’re very modern 21st-century companies, yet sometimes they seem to operate with Dickensian, 19th-century conditions.”.
The minister listed practices the government will not permit. These include 120-hour work weeks and worker surveillance, such as monitoring time for bathroom visits. The campaign announcement follows a notice from Amazon regarding 1,200 dismissals in Spain.
A law on this matter already exists. Spain's 'Rider Law' obliges companies to inform worker representatives about algorithms. Compliance, however, remains an issue. The Generalitat of Catalonia recently fined Amazon for failure to share algorithm information at its El Prat logistics centre. The Ministry of Labour has also created a tool to help workers request this information.
The minister's speech also occurred in a political context. Díaz addressed opposition from the Junts party. She asked Junts, the PP, and Vox to support separate government proposals for bereavement and palliative care leave.
The minister warned digital platform owners that Spain's labour rights must be met. The government is focusing on algorithm transparency and worker protections.
- Keywords
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algorithm,
algorithmic management,
working conditions,
platformisation of work
- Actors
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Government
Sources
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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 …
