The politics of platform work: representation in the age of digital labour

Abstract

Representation of platform workers in politics and labour market relations is a multifaceted problem. On the one hand platform work is complicated in policymaking, owing to the grey areas in labour and competition law. On the other hand, representation of platform workers in the political arena and labour market relations by political parties and labour unions is an underdeveloped and understudied issue. In this chapter we argue that representation of platform workers is a function of both demand for and supply of representation. We present a framework, based on insider-outsider theory, through which representation can be studied, which we illustrate with the case of Finnish and Dutch election programmes. We reiterate that the study of platform work requires comparative, multidisciplinary research, with a particular need for knowledge on the (intersectional) representation demands of platform workers themselves.