To be or not to be a platform worker? Lithuanian case in the context of EU countries
Abstract
The first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, which peaked in 2020, and the unprecedented demand for home delivery services have led to the growth of platform work in many countries all over the world. The article analyses the situation of platform workers in the Lithuania’s labour market in the context of other EU countries. The paper presents the findings of a survey of platform workers carried out to define the social-economic picture of platform workers and identify their attitudes towards platform work in Lithuania. The survey has shown that the labour market situation of platform workers in Lithuania follows trends similar to other European countries in terms of socio-demographic characteristics, preferences and challenges. Slightly more significant differences between EU countries and Lithuania can be observed when analysing platform workers’ working time and earnings.
Keyword : platform work, platform workers, digital labour platforms, Lithuania
How to Cite
Miežienė, R., Blažienė, I., & Gruževskis, B. (2022). To be or not to be a platform worker? Lithuanian case in the context of EU countries. Business: Theory and Practice, 23(2), 456–466. https://doi.org/10.3846/btp.2022.17229
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
References
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Johnston, H., Caia, A., Silberman, M. S., Ceremigna, M., Hernández, D., & Dumitrescu, V. (2020). Working on digital labour platforms. A trade union guide for trainers on crowd-, app- and platform-based work. ETUI. https://www.etui.org/publications/working-digital-labour-platforms
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Lithuanian Trade Union Confederation. (2020, 17 November). LPSK palaiko Kurjerių asociaciją bei jų reikalavimus. https://www.lpsk.lt/2020/11/17/lpsk-palaiko-kurjeriu-asociacija-bei-ju-reikalavimus/
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Muszyński, K., Pulignano, V., Domecka, M., & Mrozowicki, A. (2021). Coping with precarity during COVID-19: A study of platform work in Poland. International Labour Review. https://doi.org/10.1111/ilr.12224
Naprys, E. (2021, 4 April). Maisto išvežiotoju įsidarbinti pabandęs kaunietis liko musę kandęs: eilėje laukia šimtai. https://kaunas.kasvyksta.lt/2021/04/04/verslas/maisto-isveziotoju-isidarbinti-pabandes-kaunietis-liko-muse-kandes-eileje-laukia-simtai/
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Piasna, A. (2020). Counting gigs: How can we measure the scale of online platform work? (Working Paper 2020.06). ETUI. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3699350
Piasna, A., & Drahokoupil, J. (2019). Digital labour in central and Eastern Europe: Evidence from the ETUI Internet and Platform Work Survey. ETUI. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3500717
Piasna, A., Zwysen, W., & Drahokoupil, J. (2022). The platform economy in Europe. Results from the second ETUI Internet and Platform Work Survey. ETUI. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4042629
Renau-Cano, M., Espelt, R., & Morell, M. (2021). Flexibility and freedom for whom? Precarity, freedom and flexibility in on-demand food delivery. Work Organisation, Labour & Globalisation, 15(1). https://doi.org/10.13169/workorgalaboglob.15.1.0046
Schmidt, F. A. (2017). Digital labour markets in the platform economy: Mapping the political challenges of crowd work and gig work. The Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung. https://library.fes.de/pdf-files/wiso/13164.pdf
State Tax Inspectorate. (2021). https://www.vmi.lt/evmi/en/home
Verslo žinios. (2020, 15 July). Dalis ‘Bolt Food’ kurjerių paskelbė streiką. https://www.vz.lt/transportas-logistika/2020/07/15/dalis-bolt-food-kurjeriu-paskelbe-streika&1SEhI
Žebrauskienė, A. (2021, 10 June). Keleivių vežėjams iššūkių metas: vilniečiai stebisi staiga išaugusiomis kainomis ir vairuotojų stygiumi net ne piko metu. https://www.delfi.lt/verslas/transportas/keleiviu-vezejams-issukiu-metas-vilnieciai-stebisi-staiga-isaugusiomis-kainomis-ir-vairuotoju-stygiumi-net-ne-piko-metu.d?id=87419741
Berg, J. (2016). Income security in the on-demand economy: Findings and policy lessons from a survey of crowdworkers. In Conditions of work and employment series No. 74. International Labour Office. http://ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_protect/---protrav/---travail/documents/publication/wcms_479693.pdf
Brancati, M. C., Pesole A., & Férnandéz-Macías E. (2020). New evidence on platform workers in Europe New evidence on platform workers in Europe. Results from the second COLLEEM survey. Publications Office of the European Union. https://doi.org/10.2760/459278
Davulis, T. (2020, 15 July 2020). Ar legalus yra maisto išvežiotojų „streikas“? TeisėPRro. http://www.teise.pro/index.php/2020/07/15/t-davulis-ar-legalus-yra-maisto-isveziotoju-streikas
de Groen, W. P., Kilhoffer, Z., Westhoff, L., Postica, D., & Shamsfakhr, F. (2021). Digital labour platforms in the EU. Mapping and business models (Final report). Publications Office of the European Union.
Delfi. (2022, 18 February). Bolt vairuotojai žada paros streiką. https://www.delfi.lt/verslas/verslas/bolt-vairuotojai-zada-paros-streika.d?id=89490857
European Commission. (2019). Study to gather evidence on the working conditions of platform workers. VT/2018/032. European Commission.
European Commission. (2021a, 9 December). Commission proposals to improve the working conditions of people working through digital labour platforms. https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?langId=en&catId=89&newsId=10120&furtherNews=yes
European Commission. (2021b). Thematic review 2021 on platform work. European Centre of Expertise (ECE) in the field of labour law, employment and labour market policies. Publications Office of the European Union.
European Commission. (2021c). Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down harmonised rules on Artificial Intelligence (Artificial Intelligence Act) and amending certain Union legislative acts. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52021PC0206
European Institute for Gender Equality. (2020). Gender Equality Index 2020: Digitalisation and the future of work. Publications Office of the European Union. https://eige.europa.eu/publications/gender-equality-index-2020-digitalisation-and-future-work
European Policy Centre. (2021, 23 June). Solving misclassification will not be enough to improve working conditions in the platform economy. EPC.
Euractiv. (2021, 8 December). Deliveroo wins court battle on riders’ status in Belgium. https://www.euractiv.com/section/economy-jobs/news/deliveroo-wins-court-battle-on-riders-status-in-belgium
Eurofound. (2015). New forms of employment. Publications Office of the EU. https://www.eurofound.europa.eu/sites/default/files/ef_publication/field_ef_document/ef1461en.pdf
Eurofound. (2018). Employment and working conditions of selected types of platform work. Publications Office of the European Union.
Eurofound. (2020). Back to the future: Policy pointers from platform work scenarios. Publications Office of the European Union. https://www.eurofound.europa.eu/sites/default/files/ef_publication/field_ef_document/ef20012en.pdf
Euronews. (2021, 10 December). Court in Belgium denies Deliveroo riders employee protections as EU proposes new gig worker rights. https://www.euronews.com/next/2021/12/10/court-in-belgium-denies-deliveroo-riders-employee-protections-as-eu-proposes-new-gig-worke
European Parliament. (2017). The social protection of workers in the platform economy. Directorate General for Internal Policies Policy Department A: Economic and Scientific Policy. European Parliament. http://www.europarl.europa.eu/supporting-analyses
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer. (2021). Where do the platform workers stand? – Status and protection in Europe and the US. https://www.freshfields.com/49956a/globalassets/our-thinking/campaigns/beyond-the-pandemic/wl-2.0/where-do-platform-workers-stand---status-and-protection-in-europe-and-the-us.pdf
Gegužės 1-osios profesinė sąjunga. (2020, 18 November). Dėl ekonomisto Algirdo Bartkaus nuomonės. http://g1ps.lt/tag/platformines-imones/
Hoang, L., Blank G., & Quan-Haase, A. (2020). The winners and the losers of the platform economy: who participates? Information, Communication & Society, 23, 681–700. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2020.1720771
Huws, U., Spencer N. H., & Coates, M. (2019). The platformisation of work in Europe. Results from research in 13 European countries. FEPS – Foundation for European Progressive Studies.
International Labour Organization. (2021). World Employment and Social Outlook 2021: The role of digital labour platforms in transforming the world of work. ILO. https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---dcomm/---publ/documents/publication/wcms_771749.pdf
Johnston, H., Caia, A., Silberman, M. S., Ceremigna, M., Hernández, D., & Dumitrescu, V. (2020). Working on digital labour platforms. A trade union guide for trainers on crowd-, app- and platform-based work. ETUI. https://www.etui.org/publications/working-digital-labour-platforms
Kalinkaitė-Matuliauskienė, V. (2022a, 14 February). Lithuanian platform workers pin hopes on EC directive for better conditions. https://www.lrt.lt/en/news-in-english/19/1610277/lithuanian-platform-workers-pin-hopes-on-ec-directive-for-better-conditions
Kalinkaitė-Matuliauskienė, V. (2022b, 25 January). Kurjerių ir pavežėjų laukia pokyčiai: verslas tai vertina kaip mirtį platformoms, darbuotojų atstovai reikalauja garantijų. https://www.lrt.lt/naujienos/verslas/4/1597168/kurjeriu-ir-pavezeju-laukia-pokyciai-verslas-tai-vertina-kaip-mirti-platformoms-darbuotoju-atstovai-reikalauja-garantiju
Karanovic, J., & Stofberg, N. (2021). Advancing quality of work & working conditions in the EU. For workers in the diverse forms of employment. Reshaping Work. https://reshapingwork.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Reshaping-Work-2021-report.pdf
Lane, M. (2020). Regulating platform work in the digital age. In OECD Going Digital Toolkit Policy Note No 1. OECD. https://goingdigital.oecd.org/toolkitnotes/regulating-platform-work-in-the-digital-age.pdf
LRT.lt. (2020, 17 November). 200 kurjerių reikalauja ‘Bolt Food’ didesnio užmokesčio ir stabilių darbo sąlygų. https://www.lrt.lt/naujienos/verslas/4/1277909/200-kurjeriu-reikalauja-bolt-food-didesnio-uzmokescio-ir-stabiliu-darbo-salygu
Lrytas.lt. (2020, 15 July). Streikuojančiais kurjeriais ragina pasekti ir kitus el. platformų darbuotojus. https://www.lrytas.lt/verslas/rinkos-pulsas/2020/07/15/news/streikuojanciais-kurjeriais-ragina-pasekti-ir-kitus-el-platformu-darbuotojus-15625592/
Lithuanian Trade Union Confederation. (2020, 17 November). LPSK palaiko Kurjerių asociaciją bei jų reikalavimus. https://www.lpsk.lt/2020/11/17/lpsk-palaiko-kurjeriu-asociacija-bei-ju-reikalavimus/
Masiokaitė-Liubinienė, A. (2020, 15 July). SADM teigia iki šiol negavusi skundų dėl skaitmeninių darbo platformų. https://www.15min.lt/verslas/naujiena/finansai/sadm-teigia-iki-siol-negavusi-skundu-del-skaitmeniniu-darbo-platformu-662-1347806
Muszyński, K., Pulignano, V., Domecka, M., & Mrozowicki, A. (2021). Coping with precarity during COVID-19: A study of platform work in Poland. International Labour Review. https://doi.org/10.1111/ilr.12224
Naprys, E. (2021, 4 April). Maisto išvežiotoju įsidarbinti pabandęs kaunietis liko musę kandęs: eilėje laukia šimtai. https://kaunas.kasvyksta.lt/2021/04/04/verslas/maisto-isveziotoju-isidarbinti-pabandes-kaunietis-liko-muse-kandes-eileje-laukia-simtai/
OECD. (2019). OECD employment outlook 2019: The future of work. OECD. https://doi.org/10.1787/9ee00155-en
Pesole, A., Urzi Brancati, M. C., Fernandez Macias, E., Biagi, F., & Gonzalez Vazquez, I. (2018). Platform workers in Europe: Evidence from the COLLEEM Survey, No JRC112157. Joint Research Centre.
Piasna, A. (2020). Counting gigs: How can we measure the scale of online platform work? (Working Paper 2020.06). ETUI. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3699350
Piasna, A., & Drahokoupil, J. (2019). Digital labour in central and Eastern Europe: Evidence from the ETUI Internet and Platform Work Survey. ETUI. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3500717
Piasna, A., Zwysen, W., & Drahokoupil, J. (2022). The platform economy in Europe. Results from the second ETUI Internet and Platform Work Survey. ETUI. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4042629
Renau-Cano, M., Espelt, R., & Morell, M. (2021). Flexibility and freedom for whom? Precarity, freedom and flexibility in on-demand food delivery. Work Organisation, Labour & Globalisation, 15(1). https://doi.org/10.13169/workorgalaboglob.15.1.0046
Schmidt, F. A. (2017). Digital labour markets in the platform economy: Mapping the political challenges of crowd work and gig work. The Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung. https://library.fes.de/pdf-files/wiso/13164.pdf
State Tax Inspectorate. (2021). https://www.vmi.lt/evmi/en/home
Verslo žinios. (2020, 15 July). Dalis ‘Bolt Food’ kurjerių paskelbė streiką. https://www.vz.lt/transportas-logistika/2020/07/15/dalis-bolt-food-kurjeriu-paskelbe-streika&1SEhI
Žebrauskienė, A. (2021, 10 June). Keleivių vežėjams iššūkių metas: vilniečiai stebisi staiga išaugusiomis kainomis ir vairuotojų stygiumi net ne piko metu. https://www.delfi.lt/verslas/transportas/keleiviu-vezejams-issukiu-metas-vilnieciai-stebisi-staiga-isaugusiomis-kainomis-ir-vairuotoju-stygiumi-net-ne-piko-metu.d?id=87419741