Leading platform companies – Cabify, Deliveroo, Grab, MBO Partners, Postmates and Uber – have partnered through the World Economic Forum platform to create principles for the quality of the work that they facilitate.
The companies have agreed on The Charter of Principles for Good Platform Work, released today, which outlines eight key areas to address: diversity and inclusion; safety and wellbeing; flexibility and fair conditions; reasonable pay and fees; social protection; learning and development; voice and participation; and data management. The World Economic Forum has also released the white paper, The Promise of Platform Work: Understanding the Ecosystem, which outlines the different categories of digital work/service platforms, the opportunities and challenges they pose for workers and existing examples of good practice by platform companies in the areas covered by the Charter.
Companies operating digital platforms for individuals to hire out their services to businesses or consumers have experienced rapid growth in recent years and disrupted a range of sectors. Around 0.5% to 2% of the workforce in advanced economies is engaged in platform work, and the platform economy is growing, with global spending up 43% in 2018. These platforms range from ride-hailing apps to professional services.
Digital work/service platforms can offer affordable services to consumers, allow companies and clients greater opportunities to access talent, and provide flexible opportunities for earning income. But the rapid adoption of technology, innovation in business models and the diverse ways in which people work through platforms poses challenges for the current rules and laws governing work and safety nets.
A comprehensive approach is required that provides clarity and legal certainty, and empowers platform workers, promoting their dignity and wellbeing, while supporting flexibility, innovation and the value offered by the platform economy to users and clients. Platform operators should set strong standards to support those providing services through their platforms, and The Charter of Principles for Good Platform Work is a ground-breaking initiative by leading companies in the sector to collectively identify and commit to key principles that in their view should underpin good platform work.
“In an era of stakeholder capitalism, platform companies have come together to show leadership on improving outcomes for workers. The solutions to the challenges posed by the platform economy for working standards will come from a combination of policy changes, improved practice by platform companies themselves and dialogue between government, platform companies and workers’ representatives. These will be the next steps for this project at the World Economic Forum,” said Saadia Zahidi, Managing Director, New Economy and Society at the Forum.
The next stage of work will engage with a wider community including policy-makers and civil society stakeholders to discuss the practical measures required to support implementation of the principles for good platform work.
What the Leaders Are Saying
“Platform business represents an urgent challenge for regulation of labour markets to ensure formal work with rights, health and safety, minimum living wages or income along with the freedom to organize and bargain collectively and universal social protection. In the absence of Government action, it is pleasing to see this industry discussion. This initiative had its origins in an idea generated during a discussion with leading trade union organizations at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting 2018 in Davos-Klosters. It represents an important start to the search for solutions for platform workers. While our position on the issues addressed in the Charter may differ in important respects from the principles that it sets out, we appreciate the acknowledgement of responsibility to promote good work and look forward to dialogue over the coming year,” said Sharan Burrow, General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation.
“Our industry should view this Charter as the baseline for good platform work, for the action we all must take to ensure the wellbeing of those who contribute to our businesses,” said Bastian Lehmann, Co-founder and CEO of Postmates. “These Charter principles serve as an important reminder that conversations about the future of work are about the upward mobility of those who power our economy, day in and day out. Postmates is proud to sign this Charter as yet another signal of our commitment to fighting for pro-worker, pro-innovation policies. We hope that every on-demand company will join us.”
“We are proud to contribute to the Platform Work Charter and continue the important work of advancing the next way of working for current and future generations. As we have observed in our now 10th year of collecting data on the independent workforce, self-employment is here to stay, with more than half of all adults in the US predicted to experience independent work at some point in their careers. The World Economic Forum is the platform that will help inform and motivate government and industry to take note and adopt policies designed to support this fast-growing, satisfied, and highly influential portion of the workforce,” said Gene Zaino, Founder and Executive Chairman of MBO Partners.
“Everyone has the right to benefit from the digital economy – to earn more, to choose flexible work, and to learn new skills. Over 20% of our driver-partners did not work before joining Grab. They’ve learnt to use a digital platform to find work, and many can now afford to send their children to school. In a developing region like Southeast Asia, giving people access to digital platforms can improve the quality of life significantly for the next generation. We hope to continue collaborating with governments and industry partners to create innovative benefits that look after even the smallest micro-entrepreneur or business,” said Anthony Tan, Group Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder, Grab.
Will Shu, Chief Executive Officer and founder of Deliveroo, said: “We know that riders want to balance flexibility and security. Riders who choose to work with us tell us that they want the freedom to choose when, where and whether to work, balanced with security. Deliveroo was the first platform to give riders free insurance to protect them in case something goes wrong while on the road and we have long argued that changes are needed to enable platforms such as ours to go further to give more benefits to self-employed riders. This Charter is an important piece of work to move that debate forward.”
Platform for Shaping the Future of the New Economy and Society
The Charter of Principles for Good Platform Work and The Promise of Platform Work report are part of the World Economic Forum’s Platform for Shaping the Future of the New Economy and Society. The Platform provides the opportunity to advancing prosperous, inclusive and equitable economies and societies. It focuses on co-creating a new vision in three interconnected areas: growth and competitiveness; education, skills and work; and equality and inclusion. Working together, stakeholders deepen their understanding of complex issues, shape new models and standards and drive scalable, collaborative action for systemic change.
Over 100 of the world’s leading companies and 100 international, civil society and academic organizations currently work through the Platform to: promote new approaches to competitiveness in the Fourth Industrial Revolution economy; deploy education and skills for tomorrow’s workforce; build a new pro-worker and pro-business agenda for jobs; and integrate equality and inclusion into the new economy, aiming to reach 1 billion people with better education, jobs, skills and economic opportunity by 2030.