The digital revolution of the Uber Economy. Redefining employment relations
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24822/rjduandes.0601.1Keywords:
Gig Workers, subordination and dependence, new employment relations, employee status, new digital employment regulationAbstract
The present study focuses on the figure of gig workers in digital platforms such as Uber or Deliveroo and the necessity for a specific regulation that adjusts to the particularities of these new work relations. The above to prevent the lack of certainty regarding their legal status. Following how courts and tribunals in the UK (common law) have sought to redefine and adequate the concept of subordination and dependence, this work seeks to analyse how those elements have been interpreted to apply or not the regulation of the traditional employment figure to the new work relations that digital platforms have created. These most recent decisions demonstrate that this is not a settled topic. The current tools available to judges are insufficient to provide either certainty or security to gig workers, as this new form of labour relations does not fully present the traditional characteristics of subordination and dependence. However, they also demonstrate the need for effective regulation that responds to the demands and interests of these new workers so as not to discourage the creation of new sources of employment by regulating essential aspects such as social and health security.References
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