International regulation of platform labor: A proposal for action

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Date

2021

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Weizenbaum Institute for the Networked Society

Abstract

Platform-mediated work is a source of livelihood for millions of workers worldwide. However, because platforms typically classify workers as ‘independent contractors’, those workers are generally excluded from the scope of labor rights. This has a corrosive effect on working standards of platform workers, creating the need for an international regulatory framework to prevent a race to the bottom. To address this situation, the article proposes an outline for an International Labor Organization (ILO) Convention for the regulation of platform work going beyond the employee/independent contractor dichotomy. It identifies five core issues in the platform economy – low pay, poor working conditions, inaccessible and unreasonable contracts, unfair management, and a lack of representation – and demonstrates how existing ILO standards could be adapted to address these issues.

Description

Keywords

Regulation, Labour law, Covid-19, Public health, Labour rights

Citation

Fredman, S. et al. (2022). International regulation of platform labor: A proposal for action. Weizenbaum Journal of the Digital Society, 1(1), 1-29. https://doi.org/10.34669/wi.wjds/1.1.4