Union Strategies for the Representation of Platform Delivery Workers in Spain
In: Journal of Labor and SocietySearch for other papers by Juan Arasanz Díaz in
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Abstract
Food-delivery digital labour platforms started to operate in Spain in 2016. As in other national contexts, these platforms have misclassified workers as independent contractors rather than employees, shifting responsibilities and risks onto workers who have been forced to operate under marketized relationships lacking protection. This paper analyses trade unions practices and strategies targeted towards food-delivery platform workers (riders) in Spain. The findings are based on desk research and fieldwork consisting of semi-structured interviews with representatives from different trade unions and self-organized workers’ associations. The article shows how trade unions’ strategies resting on litigation and social dialogue ended up with the first legislation in Europe which introduced a rebuttable presumption of employment in the field of delivery platforms. At the same time, it shows the limitation of those strategies resting on institutional power resources due to the fragmentation of workers’ interests and the newly platforms’ strategies to circumvent labour law.
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Union Strategies for the Representation of Platform Delivery Workers in Spain
In: Journal of Labor and SocietySearch for other papers by Juan Arasanz Díaz in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Pablo Sanz de Miguel in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Abstract
Food-delivery digital labour platforms started to operate in Spain in 2016. As in other national contexts, these platforms have misclassified workers as independent contractors rather than employees, shifting responsibilities and risks onto workers who have been forced to operate under marketized relationships lacking protection. This paper analyses trade unions practices and strategies targeted towards food-delivery platform workers (riders) in Spain. The findings are based on desk research and fieldwork consisting of semi-structured interviews with representatives from different trade unions and self-organized workers’ associations. The article shows how trade unions’ strategies resting on litigation and social dialogue ended up with the first legislation in Europe which introduced a rebuttable presumption of employment in the field of delivery platforms. At the same time, it shows the limitation of those strategies resting on institutional power resources due to the fragmentation of workers’ interests and the newly platforms’ strategies to circumvent labour law.
| All Time | Past Year | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 429 | 376 | 45 |
| Full Text Views | 143 | 20 | 0 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 175 | 40 | 0 |