Workers’ Protection in the Platform economy

The platform economy has been growing over the past few years. Even though the social protection of workers is enshrined in the Treaty of the European Union, the measure and nature of collective perception vary across the Member States of the European Union (EU). Consequently, workers are subject to different degrees of social protection. The development of the collaborative platform or gig economy requires special attention towards the people who work in this system, especially in the field of social protection. When analyzing the platform economy, it is vital to analyze the type of labor market in which work is carried out and the degree of control that platforms exercise over the conduct of work. Furthermore, in the knowledge economy, it is also necessary to analyze the perception of stakeholders towards the platform, gig, or collaborative economy, meaning that there are both positive and negative considerations regarding new forms of work. As it is impossible to classify into a single legal framework the ways of working and the work performances of the gig-economy, the (ancient) labor law idea of turning to an intermediate category situated between subordination and autonomy has once again gained traction. Despite this, it seems more important to study the ways to protect the safety of workers, the independence of insurance and social security safeguards. Not surprisingly, it must be noted that social dialogue and the role of workers and workers’ organizations constitute the drive for the governance of these new forms of work.