IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/woemps/v38y2024i1p3-26.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Platform Labour Unrest in a Global Perspective: How, Where and Why Do Platform Workers Protest?

Author

Listed:
  • Charles Umney

    (University of Leeds, UK)

  • Mark Stuart

    (University of Leeds, UK)

  • Ioulia Bessa

    (University of Leeds, UK)

  • Simon Joyce

    (University of Leeds, UK)

  • Denis Neumann

    (University of Leeds, UK)

  • Vera Trappmann

    (University of Leeds, UK)

Abstract

Labour unrest by platform workers is a growing global phenomenon, but several questions require deeper understanding. What motivates platform labour unrest? Which actors and strategies are involved? How does this vary across regions? Systematic answers are hindered by the lack of large datasets. Uniquely, this article analyses a global dataset comprising 1271 instances of platform labour unrest. It reveals two main dimensions of platform labour struggle: those defending or extending protective regulatory institutions (regulatory protests); and those seeking a larger share of value created (distributive protests). The former more often involve mainstream unions and methods like legal challenges. The latter more often involve grassroots organisation, and the collective withdrawal of labour and demonstrations. Theoretically, the article elaborates on Silver’s distinction between Marx-type and Polanyi-type labour unrest to explain and contextualise these findings. These patterns reveal variation within the growing wave of platform labour unrest that have not yet been systematically examined.

Suggested Citation

  • Charles Umney & Mark Stuart & Ioulia Bessa & Simon Joyce & Denis Neumann & Vera Trappmann, 2024. "Platform Labour Unrest in a Global Perspective: How, Where and Why Do Platform Workers Protest?," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 38(1), pages 3-26, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:woemps:v:38:y:2024:i:1:p:3-26
    DOI: 10.1177/09500170231209676
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/09500170231209676
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/09500170231209676?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Bessa, Ioulia, & Joyce, Simon, & Neumann, Denis, & Stuart, Mark, & Trappmann, Vera, & Umney, Charles,, 2022. "A global analysis of worker protest in digital labour platforms," ILO Working Papers 995192093002676, International Labour Organization.
    2. Ivanova, Mirela & Bronowicka, Joanna & Kocher, Eva & Degner, Anne, 2018. "Foodora and Deliveroo: The App as a Boss? Control and autonomy in app-based management - the case of food delivery riders," Working Paper Forschungsförderung 107, Hans-Böckler-Stiftung, Düsseldorf.
    3. Angela Rauseo, 2018. "Riders on the Precarious Digital Work. Foodora and the Riders' Collective Action in Italy," Economia & lavoro, Carocci editore, issue 2, pages 43-52.
    4. Jovana Karanović & Hans Berends & Yuval Engel, 2021. "Regulated Dependence: Platform Workers’ Responses to New Forms of Organizing," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 58(4), pages 1070-1106, June.
    5. Michael David Maffie, 2020. "The Role of Digital Communities in Organizing Gig Workers," Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 59(1), pages 123-149, January.
    6. Leighton, Patricia, 2016. "Professional self-employment, new power and the sharing economy: Some cautionary tales from Uber," Journal of Management & Organization, Cambridge University Press, vol. 22(6), pages 859-874, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Simon Schaupp, 2022. "Algorithmic Integration and Precarious (Dis)Obedience: On the Co-Constitution of Migration Regime and Workplace Regime in Digitalised Manufacturing and Logistics," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 36(2), pages 310-327, April.
    2. Wood, Alex & Lehdonvirta, Vili, 2021. "Antagonism beyond employment: how the ‘subordinated agency’ of labour platforms generates conflict in the remote gig economy," SocArXiv y943w_v1, Center for Open Science.
    3. Wu, Jie & Zahoor, Nadia & Khan, Zaheer & Meyer, Martin, 2023. "The effects of inward FDI communities on the research and development intensity of emerging market locally domiciled firms: Partial foreign ownership as a contingency," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).
    4. Wood, Alex & Lehdonvirta, Vili, 2021. "Antagonism beyond employment: how the ‘subordinated agency’ of labour platforms generates conflict in the remote gig economy," SocArXiv y943w, Center for Open Science.
    5. Jingtao Yi & Jiatao Li & Liang Chen, 2023. "Ecosystem social responsibility in international digital commerce," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 54(1), pages 24-41, February.
    6. Michael David Maffie, 2024. "Adversaries or Cross-Organization Co-workers? Exploring the Relationship between Gig Workers and Conventional Employees," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 77(1), pages 3-31, January.
    7. Tian, Chao & Tu, Kai & Sui, Haiqing & Sun, Qi, 2024. "Value co-creation in shared mobility: The case of carpooling in China," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 205(C).
    8. Heiland, Heiner, 2020. "Workers' Voice in platform labour: An Overview," WSI Studies 21, The Institute of Economic and Social Research (WSI), Hans Böckler Foundation.
    9. Norbäck, Maria & Styhre, Alexander, 2019. "Making it work in free agent work: The coping practices of Swedish freelance journalists," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 35(4).
    10. Wotschack, Philip & Hellbach, Leon & Butollo, Florian, 2024. "Algorithmic Management in the Food-Delivery Sector – a Contested Terrain?," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 4(3), pages 1-22.
    11. Nicholas Martindale & Alex J. Wood & Brendan J. Burchell, 2024. "What do platform workers in the UK gig economy want?," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 62(3), pages 542-567, September.
    12. Andranik Tumasjan, 2024. "The many faces of social media in business and economics research: Taking stock of the literature and looking into the future," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(2), pages 389-426, April.
    13. Tan, Zhi Ming & Aggarwal, Nikita & Cowls, Josh & Morley, Jessica & Taddeo, Mariarosaria & Floridi, Luciano, 2021. "The ethical debate about the gig economy: A review and critical analysis," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    14. Chan Liu & Raymond K. H. Chan & Maofu Wang & Zhe Yang, 2020. "Mapping the Sharing Economy in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(16), pages 1-19, August.
    15. Andrzej Bąk & Elżbieta Nawrocka & Daria E. Jaremen, 2022. "“Sustainability” as a Motive for Choosing Shared-Mobility Services: The Case of Polish Consumers of Uber Services," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-21, May.
    16. Trang Thi Quynh Dinh & Janne Tienari, 2022. "Brothers and broken dreams: Men, masculinity, and emotions in platform capitalism," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(2), pages 609-625, March.
    17. Lechardoy, Lucie & López Forés, Laura & Codagnone, Cristiano, 2023. "Artificial intelligence at the workplace and the impacts on work organisation, working conditions and ethics," 32nd European Regional ITS Conference, Madrid 2023: Realising the digital decade in the European Union – Easier said than done? 277997, International Telecommunications Society (ITS).
    18. Gorwa, Robert, 2024. "The Politics of Platform Regulation: How Governments Shape Online Content Moderation," EconStor Books, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, number 299876, March.
    19. Meri Koivusalo & Arseniy Svynarenko & Benta Mbare & Mikko Perkiö, 2024. "Disruptive (dis)engagement: platformisation as a global social policy," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-13, December.
    20. Chunyan Li & Chien-Liang Lin & Tachia Chin, 2022. "How Does the Paradoxical Leadership of Cross-Border e-Commerce (CBEC) Gig Workers Influence Chinese Company Performance: The Role of Psychological Well-Being," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-15, September.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:woemps:v:38:y:2024:i:1:p:3-26. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.britsoc.co.uk/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.