Initiatives to improve conditions for platform workers: Aims, methods, strengths and weaknesses

Initiatives to support platform workers have better visibility and access to resources when embedded in wider strategies such as national digitalisation policies. At the same time, designing these initiatives so that they achieve adequate protection for workers without hindering innovation and technological progress is essential.

To ensure the effectiveness and enforceability of legal initiatives, clarity on the definitions of platform work and platforms is an important precondition, as is clarity on the scope of legislation. It is also critical to create a broad framework that covers all platform work while encouraging more tailored approaches to individual types of platform work and platform workers, including vulnerable self-employed.

Broader strategies and individual initiatives to improve conditions for platform workers can benefit from closer cooperation between different stakeholders. In particular, joint activities by established trade unions and grassroots organisations can draw on the strengths of both to improve effectiveness.

Initiatives to improve the working conditions of platform workers are unevenly distributed across the EU, with few in eastern Europe. Social media have proven to be a useful tool to increase their dissemination, and it will be important to highlight the positive role of sharing experiences in the use of social media through existing or new tools for capacity building and exchange of good practices among the different actors and across the Member States.

The social protection of platform workers is a priority, especially for those for whom it is their main job or who combine it with other precarious employment. It is crucial to ensure that these workers are informed of their eligibility for benefits and that the process for accessing services is straightforward.