Dossier on collaborative economy (& II): New strategies and alternative aspects of the platform economy, coordinated by Lluís Alfons Garay TamajónISSUE 15 (MAY 2021)
NEW WAYS OF WORKING

The future is collective and the collectives are the future

Abstract

The evolution towards the network company and the resulting fragmentation of work increases the number of self-employed persons with intermittent relationships between various employers and with their potential co-workers. In this context, «collectives of the self-employed» emerge in contrast to the narrative that self-employed workers are isolated from each other. These collectives organise fights against algorithms, fights for labour rights, pool material and digital resources and even present themselves to the market under a unified brand without being a company. As emerging forms of organisation, they face challenges regarding their recognition as actors in social dialogue and are even accused of acting as cartels under the prism of free competition. Although their current forms are probably not the definitive forms, we can intuit that the «collectives of the self-employed» have and will have a relevant role in defining the ways of working and living in the future.

digital platforms;  platform workers;  gig economy;  collectives;  self-employed;  decent work and economic growth;  reduced inequalities;  responsible consumption and production; 

ODS

ODS ODS 8 ODS 10 ODS 12

About the author