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A Modern Guide To Labour and the Platform Economy
Providing an insightful analysis of the key issues and significant trends relating to labour within the platform economy, this Modern Guide considers the existing comparative evidence covering all world regions. It also provides an in-depth look at digital labour platforms in their historical, economic and geographical contexts.
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Critical Acclaim
Contributors
Contents
More Information
Providing an insightful analysis of the key issues and significant trends relating to labour within the platform economy, this Modern Guide considers the existing comparative evidence covering all world regions. It also provides an in-depth look at digital labour platforms in their historical, economic and geographical contexts.
Highlighting the diversity of experience of platform work, case studies illustrate how general trends play out, both in online and location-based labour platforms, across the globe. Chapters illustrate a need for a post-pandemic regulatory requirement of digital labour platforms at different policy levels, whilst providing a general overview of key topics. Interlinking contributions with a global scope and coverage identify the challenges faced and offer thoughtful regulatory solutions.
This engaging book will be an invaluable resource for academics of labour economics, legal and business studies and sociology. It will also benefit policy makers in social and political geography and political science looking for a deeper understanding of the topic.
Highlighting the diversity of experience of platform work, case studies illustrate how general trends play out, both in online and location-based labour platforms, across the globe. Chapters illustrate a need for a post-pandemic regulatory requirement of digital labour platforms at different policy levels, whilst providing a general overview of key topics. Interlinking contributions with a global scope and coverage identify the challenges faced and offer thoughtful regulatory solutions.
This engaging book will be an invaluable resource for academics of labour economics, legal and business studies and sociology. It will also benefit policy makers in social and political geography and political science looking for a deeper understanding of the topic.
Critical Acclaim
‘This collected volume on the world of work produced by platform companies should be required reading for anyone interested in the modern politics of labor. Drahokoupil and Vandaele have brought together cutting-edge scholars and scholarship to historicize the emergence of the platform economy and to understand its complex, transnational implications for work and workers. Together, the chapters help to contextualize both the challenges and opportunities posed by digital labor and should be required reading for regulators, policymakers, and academics alike.’
– Veena Dubal, University of California College of the Law, San Francisco, US
‘Here’s everything you need to know about the platform economy and workers—and perhaps hadn’t even thought of asking—in this comprehensive Modern Guide. It covers emerging trends, particular cases, regulatory issues and much else, and is likely to become an essential guide for researchers and policy makers.’
– Jayati Ghosh, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, US
– Veena Dubal, University of California College of the Law, San Francisco, US
‘Here’s everything you need to know about the platform economy and workers—and perhaps hadn’t even thought of asking—in this comprehensive Modern Guide. It covers emerging trends, particular cases, regulatory issues and much else, and is likely to become an essential guide for researchers and policy makers.’
– Jayati Ghosh, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, US
Contributors
Contributors: Mehtap Akgüç, Mariya Aleksynska, Adam Badger, Helena Barnard, Janine Berg, Pierre Bérastégui, Julie (Yujie) Chen, Pauline de Becdelièvre, Valerio De Stefano, Jan Drahokoupil, Darcy du Toit, Sai Englert, Maria Figueroa, Jörg Flecker, Sandra Fredman, Sacha Garben, Raoul Gebert, Nora Gobel, Mark Graham, Richard Heeks, Benjamin Herr, Isis Hjorth, Kristin Jesnes, Simon Joyce, Hannah Johnston, Vili Lehdonvirta, Jack Linchuan Qiu, Pamela Meil, Denis Neumann, David Peetz, Susanne Pernicka, Agnieszka Piasna, Carlos Piñeyro Nelson, Uma Rani, Andrea Santiago Páramo, Philip Schörpf, Andrey Shevchuk, David Peter Simon, Denis Strebkov, Mark Stuart, Ping Sun, Vera Trappmann, Gérard Valenduc, Jean-Paul Van Belle, Kurt Vandaele, Alex J. Wood, Mathias Wouters
Contents
Contents:
1 Introduction: Janus meets Proteus in the platform economy 1
Jan Drahokoupil and Kurt Vandaele
PART I CONTEXT AND ISSUES
2 The business models of labour platforms: Creating an
uncertain future 33
Jan Drahokoupil
3 Moving on, out or up: The externalization of work to B2B
platforms 49
Pamela Meil and Mehtap Akgü.
4 Measuring the platform economy: Different approaches to
estimating the size of the online platform workforce 66
Agnieszka Piasna
5 A historical perspective on the drivers of digital labour platforms 81
Gérard Valenduc
6 The platform economy at the forefront of a changing world
of work: Implications for occupational health and safety 96
Pierre Bérastégui and Sacha Garben
7 How place and space matter to union organizing in the
platform economy 112
Benjamin Herr, Philip Schörpf and Jörg Flecker
PART II REGULATING PLATFORM WORK
8 Embedding platforms in contemporary labour law 129
Valerio De Stefano and Mathias Wouters
9 The regulation of platform work in the European Union:
Mapping the challenges 145
Sacha Garben
10 Workers, platforms and the state: The struggle over digital
labour platform regulation 162
Sai Englert, Mark Graham, Sandra Fredman, Darcy du
Toit, Adam Badger, Richard Heeks and Jean-Paul Van Belle
11 Trade union responses to platform work: An evolving
tension between mainstream and grassroots approaches 177
Simon Joyce and Mark Stuart
PART III CASE STUDIES ACROSS THE GLOBE:
ONLINE LABOUR PLATFORMS
12 The uneven potential of online platform work for human
development at the global margins 194
Mark Graham, Vili Lehdonvirta, Alex J. Wood, Helena
Barnard, Isis Hjorth and David Peter Simon
13 From outsourcing to crowdsourcing: Assessing the
implications for Indian workers of different outsourcing strategies 209
Janine Berg, Uma Rani and Nora Gobel
14 The geographic and linguistic variety of online labour
markets: The cases of Russia and Ukraine 225
Mariya Aleksynska, Andrey Shevchuk and Denis Strebkov
PART IV CASE STUDIES ACROSS THE GLOBE:
LOCATION-BASED LABOUR PLATFORMS
15 Aliada and Alia: Contrasting for-profit and non-profit
platforms for domestic work in Mexico and the United States 242
Andrea Santiago Páramo and Carlos Piñeyro Nelson
16 The role of worker collectives among app-based food
delivery couriers in France, Germany and Norway: All the
same or different? 258
Kristin Jesnes, Denis Neumann, Vera Trappmann and
Pauline de Becdelièvre
17 The pitfalls and promises of successfully organizing
Foodora couriers in Toronto 274
Raoul Gebert
18 Labour management and resistance among platform-based
food delivery couriers in Beijing 290
Jack Linchuan Qiu, Ping Sun and Julie Chen
19 Struggles over the power and meaning of digital labour
platforms: A comparison of the Vienna, Berlin, New York
and Los Angeles taxi markets 308
Hannah Johnston and Susanne Pernicka
20 Passenger transport in Australia: Injury compensation,
public policy and the health pandemic 323
David Peetz
PART V CLOSING THOUGHTS
21 Institutional experimentation and the challenges of
platform labour 339
Maria Figueroa
Index
1 Introduction: Janus meets Proteus in the platform economy 1
Jan Drahokoupil and Kurt Vandaele
PART I CONTEXT AND ISSUES
2 The business models of labour platforms: Creating an
uncertain future 33
Jan Drahokoupil
3 Moving on, out or up: The externalization of work to B2B
platforms 49
Pamela Meil and Mehtap Akgü.
4 Measuring the platform economy: Different approaches to
estimating the size of the online platform workforce 66
Agnieszka Piasna
5 A historical perspective on the drivers of digital labour platforms 81
Gérard Valenduc
6 The platform economy at the forefront of a changing world
of work: Implications for occupational health and safety 96
Pierre Bérastégui and Sacha Garben
7 How place and space matter to union organizing in the
platform economy 112
Benjamin Herr, Philip Schörpf and Jörg Flecker
PART II REGULATING PLATFORM WORK
8 Embedding platforms in contemporary labour law 129
Valerio De Stefano and Mathias Wouters
9 The regulation of platform work in the European Union:
Mapping the challenges 145
Sacha Garben
10 Workers, platforms and the state: The struggle over digital
labour platform regulation 162
Sai Englert, Mark Graham, Sandra Fredman, Darcy du
Toit, Adam Badger, Richard Heeks and Jean-Paul Van Belle
11 Trade union responses to platform work: An evolving
tension between mainstream and grassroots approaches 177
Simon Joyce and Mark Stuart
PART III CASE STUDIES ACROSS THE GLOBE:
ONLINE LABOUR PLATFORMS
12 The uneven potential of online platform work for human
development at the global margins 194
Mark Graham, Vili Lehdonvirta, Alex J. Wood, Helena
Barnard, Isis Hjorth and David Peter Simon
13 From outsourcing to crowdsourcing: Assessing the
implications for Indian workers of different outsourcing strategies 209
Janine Berg, Uma Rani and Nora Gobel
14 The geographic and linguistic variety of online labour
markets: The cases of Russia and Ukraine 225
Mariya Aleksynska, Andrey Shevchuk and Denis Strebkov
PART IV CASE STUDIES ACROSS THE GLOBE:
LOCATION-BASED LABOUR PLATFORMS
15 Aliada and Alia: Contrasting for-profit and non-profit
platforms for domestic work in Mexico and the United States 242
Andrea Santiago Páramo and Carlos Piñeyro Nelson
16 The role of worker collectives among app-based food
delivery couriers in France, Germany and Norway: All the
same or different? 258
Kristin Jesnes, Denis Neumann, Vera Trappmann and
Pauline de Becdelièvre
17 The pitfalls and promises of successfully organizing
Foodora couriers in Toronto 274
Raoul Gebert
18 Labour management and resistance among platform-based
food delivery couriers in Beijing 290
Jack Linchuan Qiu, Ping Sun and Julie Chen
19 Struggles over the power and meaning of digital labour
platforms: A comparison of the Vienna, Berlin, New York
and Los Angeles taxi markets 308
Hannah Johnston and Susanne Pernicka
20 Passenger transport in Australia: Injury compensation,
public policy and the health pandemic 323
David Peetz
PART V CLOSING THOUGHTS
21 Institutional experimentation and the challenges of
platform labour 339
Maria Figueroa
Index
