The Digital Resistance: Contesting the Power of Gig Economy Platforms through Collective Worker Action
This article examines how trade unions and self-organised worker groups have deployed digital organising tools to collectivise gig work, focusing on rideshare and food delivery platforms. It demonstrates the successful actions of worker representatives to improve the working conditions and legal pos...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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University of Bologna
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Italian Labour Law e-Journal |
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| Online Access: | https://illej.unibo.it/article/view/18413 |
| _version_ | 1797390144188186624 |
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| author | Anthony Forsyth |
| author_facet | Anthony Forsyth |
| author_sort | Anthony Forsyth |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This article examines how trade unions and self-organised worker groups have deployed digital organising tools to collectivise gig work, focusing on rideshare and food delivery platforms. It demonstrates the successful actions of worker representatives to improve the working conditions and legal position of platform-based rideshare and food delivery workers in several countries, through: coordinated mobilisation to disrupt the operations of platforms and build campaigns for increased regulation of platform work; strategic litigation to establish useful legal precedents, attract public attention and build solidarity among like-minded workers; and negotiating collective agreements on behalf of gig workers. While deficiencies are identified in the collective bargaining activities of some unions, the article concludes that unions and grass-roots worker groups have played a critical role in contesting the contracting model which lies at the core of gig worker exploitation – and helping them to martial the power obtained through resistance and collective action. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T23:07:24Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-658666ce58cb49378bed06a0a423bb27 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1561-8048 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T23:07:24Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | University of Bologna |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Italian Labour Law e-Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-658666ce58cb49378bed06a0a423bb272023-12-15T11:01:32ZengUniversity of BolognaItalian Labour Law e-Journal1561-80482023-12-01162495810.6092/issn.1561-8048/1841316772The Digital Resistance: Contesting the Power of Gig Economy Platforms through Collective Worker ActionAnthony Forsyth0RMIT UniversityThis article examines how trade unions and self-organised worker groups have deployed digital organising tools to collectivise gig work, focusing on rideshare and food delivery platforms. It demonstrates the successful actions of worker representatives to improve the working conditions and legal position of platform-based rideshare and food delivery workers in several countries, through: coordinated mobilisation to disrupt the operations of platforms and build campaigns for increased regulation of platform work; strategic litigation to establish useful legal precedents, attract public attention and build solidarity among like-minded workers; and negotiating collective agreements on behalf of gig workers. While deficiencies are identified in the collective bargaining activities of some unions, the article concludes that unions and grass-roots worker groups have played a critical role in contesting the contracting model which lies at the core of gig worker exploitation – and helping them to martial the power obtained through resistance and collective action.https://illej.unibo.it/article/view/18413gig economyplatform workcontracting modelself-employedmisclassification |
| spellingShingle | Anthony Forsyth The Digital Resistance: Contesting the Power of Gig Economy Platforms through Collective Worker Action Italian Labour Law e-Journal gig economy platform work contracting model self-employed misclassification |
| title | The Digital Resistance: Contesting the Power of Gig Economy Platforms through Collective Worker Action |
| title_full | The Digital Resistance: Contesting the Power of Gig Economy Platforms through Collective Worker Action |
| title_fullStr | The Digital Resistance: Contesting the Power of Gig Economy Platforms through Collective Worker Action |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Digital Resistance: Contesting the Power of Gig Economy Platforms through Collective Worker Action |
| title_short | The Digital Resistance: Contesting the Power of Gig Economy Platforms through Collective Worker Action |
| title_sort | digital resistance contesting the power of gig economy platforms through collective worker action |
| topic | gig economy platform work contracting model self-employed misclassification |
| url | https://illej.unibo.it/article/view/18413 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT anthonyforsyth thedigitalresistancecontestingthepowerofgigeconomyplatformsthroughcollectiveworkeraction AT anthonyforsyth digitalresistancecontestingthepowerofgigeconomyplatformsthroughcollectiveworkeraction |