Legislative Battles over Platform Work Directive in the EU

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The chapter explores the complex legislative process of the platform work directive in the EU, detailing the key elements, diverging views, and challenges faced during negotiations. It discusses the setback in the European Council, the potential for a new agreement, and the expected outcome of a less ambitious directive. The chapter also examines the varying positions of countries like France, Spain, and Germany, as well as the influence of corporate lobbying on decision-making.

Paris Marx is joined by Ben Wray to discuss why the European Union’s Platform Work Directive isn’t moving forward, what hope remains for gig workers’ rights in Europe, and what we should make of Uber’s first annual profit.

Ben Wray is the coordinator of the Gig Economy Project and the author of Scotland after Britain: The two souls of Scottish independence.

Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.

The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.

Also mentioned in this episode:

On March 8, Paris will be doing a livestream about Dune 2 and Luddites with Ed Ongweso Jr and Brian Merchant. Get notified on YouTube.
Ben wrote about the failure of the Platform Work Directive, the recent conferences on platform workers’ rights in Brussels, and the Uber CEO’s admission of using driver’s “behavioral patterns” to influence pay rates.
Paris wrote about the wider context of Uber’s first annual profit.
Delivery Hero’s business isn’t going well and its share price has been dropping.
Glovo is facing serious legal trouble in Spain, and even as some fines have been suspended, others have been added.
Food delivery workers in the UK have been on a major strike. Notes from Below have been publishing some dispatches from it.