Social protection for workers in the collaborative economy
Social protection for workers in the collaborative economy European Parliament, 30 th March 2017 Mark Stuart Chris Forde
Background COLLABORATIVE ECONOMY • exact figures remain elusive • estimates vary considerably • definitions vary considerably: platform economy, gig economy, sharing economy? • social protection challenge for policy makers
Aims • How has the collaborative economy evolved? • What are the implications and challenges for social protection? • Research ongoing – interim findings reported today
What is the collaborative economy? Capital intensive Labour intensive Market Non-market Triangular Two-way Delivered online Delivered in person
Characteristics of collaborative economy working • Younger workforce • Often done in addition to main job • ‘Transactional’ engagement by workers • Mostly low paid, but some high paid
Legal issues at national and EU level • Definitions of ‘worker’ • Excludes many in the collaborative economy • Challenges of employment and social protection • Diverse configurations of employment arrangements
The meaning of the collaborative economy DIFFERING PERCEPTIONS OF THE COLLABORATIVE ECONOMY ‘Gig’ ‘sharing’, ‘platform’ economy Intermediaries /platforms ‘key disrupters’ EU and US: many similarities
Results: Size/scope of collaborative economy • Little consensus • Broad measures : ‘use any kind of platform’; ‘participate in on-demand economy’ • Narrow: ‘Paid work via online platform’ (in last week/month) • Country-specific variations • Benefits and costs
Results: Social protection • Recognised challenges • Variations across countries • Better protection - well-established forms of working • Intermediaries/platforms – creating/exploiting gaps? • Protection not keeping pace with change
Extending social protection Universal basic income -statute of basic rights Social security reform -legal reform Social protection Transaction taxes Representation through unions, intermediaries, co-operatives
- Slides: 10