Riders on the storm: the Riders' case in Italy, France, and Spain

Abstract

This thesis deals with the platform work and, more specifically, with the riders’ case. Within the wide range of changes occurring within the labor market, platforms are critical in shaping new ways of conceiving work. The whole platform economy, in this sense, implies flexibility and autonomy but also a non-negligible downside related to the institutionalization of non-standard, unstable working relationships. Formally, riders are freelancers who work for one or more food delivery companies. Nonetheless, they show clear patterns of an employee-employer scheme. Platforms define almost any aspect of their job. At the same time, riders seem to have no safeguards or rights. In order to illustrate this situation, the analysis is structured into three chapters. Focusing on the case of Italy, France, and Spain, the work starts with preliminary remarks on the platform economy. Then, chapter two analyses, from a comparative point of view, the reference legal frameworks and the case law contributions to the riders’ classification issues. Lastly, chapter three presents the current scenario by analyzing the different interventions proposed by the lawmaker in these jurisdictions and the recent E.U. proposals.