Collective bargaining and collective action in the platform economy a 2024 update of developments in legislation, case law and collective agreements

This working paper was prepared in 2024 and reviews developments internationally since 2021relating to the exercise of the right to bargain collectively and the existence of collective agreements among workers in the platform economy. The paper builds upon ILO Working Paper80, “Realizing the Opportunities of the Platform Economy through Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining” by Felix Hadwiger published in September 2022. It provides a descriptive overview of research and developments since 2021 in the effective recognition of the right of platform workers to bargain collectively and assesses the extent of developments in law and practice relating to collective bargaining internationally since that time. The paper cites recent collective agreements and other outcomes of collective negotiations covering platform workers. It also explores developments concerning case law, effective recognition of collective bargaining for self-employed workers as well as some recent developments in competition regulation. Overall, while there have been developments in some jurisdictions relating to collective action or the effective recognition of collective bargaining for platform workers, it has not been geographically widespread and remains concentrated in the delivery/food delivery sectors. Furthermore, despite some advancements, it remains that case that most platform economy workers globally do not enjoy effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining.