The poor working conditions of workers in the platform-based ‘gig’ economy have received considerable media attention in recent years.
Yielding to the pressure from gig workers, trade unions and civil society, the European Council adopted in March 2024 a directive to improve the working conditions for platform workers.
The debate around platform-based work (or the ‘gig economy’ as it’s often called) usually revolves around particular services, such as food delivery and Uber driving.
There are, however, other platform-mediated services which have received little to no media attention.
One growing sector in this field is the sector of platform-mediated care. Perhaps surprisingly, the number of caregivers on the platform Care.com alone exceeds the number of Uber drivers worldwide many times over.
In 2018, there were 12.7 million carer profiles registered on Care.com, as compared to 3.9 million Uber drivers worldwide. At the same time, almost all EU countries report significant staff shortages in the care sector.
This makes exploring the long-term care platform economy a pressing issue.
To understand the challenges that are emerging in relation to the increased appearance and use of platforms in the care sector, the FES and EPSU conducted a study on care platforms; and the challenges and opportunities facing trade unions in this area.
This research outlines different approaches unions can take to address employment conditions in the care sector, including specific action in relation to platform work, to ensure workers have a voice.
It discusses options for unions in recruiting and organising care workers as well as strategies at the political level. The report concludes with observations and issues for further discussion.
FES and EPSU launched the study on the 24th June.
During an online webinar, the authors of the study, Caroline Murphy (University of Limerick) and Ivana Pais (Università Cattolica, Milano), presented the key findings.
Furthermore, Ursula Huws (Analytica Social & Economic Research) and Dana-Carmen Bachmann (European Commission) commented on the results from their different perspectives.
The webinar is interesting to watch for anyone interested in how care work is evolving and certainly offers much for those interested in organising workers in this area to consider.