FT as a leading partner at basic research project

We are happy to announce that funding for a basic research project entitled The future of social dialogue in the platform economy: The case of Slovenia has been approved. In the next three years, the Faculty of Tourism UM, as a leading partner, together with FDV - Faculty of Social Sciences University Ljubljana, the Peace Institute and the associated partner ZSSS, will address two main problems identified with regard to reconfigurations of work in the platform capitalism: the potential loss of bargaining power of workers over their pay and working conditions within the seemingly invisible process of algorithmic management of digital giants, and the issue of decent work due to potential precarisation of platform workers and the dissolution of workers’ rights.

Project description

This project addresses two main problems identified with regards to reconfigurations of work in platform capitalism: the potential loss of bargaining power of workers over their pay and working conditions within the seemingly invisible process of algorithmic management of digital giants, and the issue of decent work due to potential precarisation of platform workers and the dissolution of workers’ rights.

The Economic and Social Council of the Republic of Slovenia involves employers' associations, trade unions and the government of the Republic of Slovenia. The global platform economy brings important challenges to this system: not only from the perspective of workers and the future of their collective organisation but also from the perspective of employers and regulators positioned in a small country at the periphery of global platform economy.

Through co-participatory research in partnership with The Association of Free Trade Unions of Slovenia this project examines how platform management practices, strategies and actions of workers and government regulation interact to shape pay and working conditions, secure control of the labour process and limit or expand bargaining position of platform workers – from the broader perspective of what these trends might mean for the future of tripartite system in Slovenia and similar countries.

Expected impacts of the projects address the SDG 8: decent work and sustained economic growth. We expect the project to contribute to decreasing and preventing future precarisation of platform workers by identifying potentially problematic management practices, identifying workers’ inequalities according to gender, class, age, nationality, and employment status. The project will also contribute to extending benefits of platform work to workers by identifying conditions under which platform work brings positive work reconfigurations, identifying and building necessary new digital skills, aiding in collective organization of platform workers and influencing policy- making and potentially also platform management.

Key words: platform work, social dialogue, agent-based modelling