Platform Work
Social Justice Ireland was invited to discuss the topic of Platform Work at the Oireachtas Committee on Enterprise, Trade and Employment. Platform work, the matching of demand and supply of paid work through an online platform using an algorithm is an increasing aspect of the labour market, while still relatively small in scale, is an area that continues to expand and develop. There were 28 million workers in the EU working through digital labour platforms in 2022, and this number is projected to increase to 43 million workers by 2025. Among the main issues emerging in relation to platform work in recent years are employment status, access to rights and entitlements for platform workers, ownership and management of platform algorithms and consumer protection.
In our policy framework for a new Social Contract, we call for decent jobs as part of a Vibrant Economy. Echoing the call of the UN Sustainable Development Goals for decent work for all, Social Justice Ireland believes that every person in society should have the right to contribute to that society. Part of this means that worthwhile employment should be a genuine option for everyone who seeks it. Jobs should provide decent working conditions and pay a wage that allows employees to achieve a decent standard of living. Recent decades have seen a gradual erosion in the quality and security of employment, not just in Ireland but across the developed world.
In order to respond to issues presented by Platform Work, Government should consider the following:
- Recognise the challenges presented by precarious employment and adopt targeted policies to address these.
- Strengthen and enforce legislation to tackle job precarity and low pay.
- Policy should at all times seek to ensure that new jobs have reasonable pay rates, and adequate resources are provided for the labour inspectorate.
- Increase the National Minimum Wage to the Living Wage.
- Benchmark social welfare rates to 27.5 per cent of average weekly earnings in 2024 with a view to developing a system of indexation over time.
- Develop flexible working initiatives to support increased participation of vulnerable groups and those underrepresented in the labour market.
- Increase investment in lifelong learning and the up-skilling of those who are unemployed, or who are at risk of unemployment.
Read Social Justice Ireland’s submission to the Oireachtas Committee on Enterprise, Trade and Employment here.