A Global Struggle: Worker Protest in the Platform Economy

Abstract

The newly developed Leeds Index of Platform Labour Protest provides an overview of the developments in platform worker organisation and mobilisation on a global scale. Its findings so far reveal that:

- The main cause globally for labour protest is pay, with considerable geographical variation when it comes to other causes for dispute.

- Types of platform labour protest appear to vary more substantially between regions than between industries.

- Mainstream unions play a vital role in defending platform workers’ interests, especially in western Europe, while in the global South, protests are much more likely to be led by grassroots unions.

- Mainstream unions rely more frequently on legal challenges, while unofficial unions rely more frequently on strike actions.

Keywords: digital economy; sharing economy; crowd work; workers rights; trade union; labour dispute