Union busting in platform economy delivery services – what new opportunities does the EU Platform Work Directive offer?

Effective co-determination and regulation of working conditions and wages through collective agreements requires platform workers to be able to communicate with each other and be reached by their representatives. The EU Platform Work Directive, which must be implemented by Member States by December 2026, could provide a remedy. Article 20 of the Directive stipulates that unhindered digital communication between workers must be ensured, as well as access to new communication channels for works councils and trade unions.
In our session, we will focus specifically on food delivery services, which are the most visible part of the platform economy. We will highlight the current challenges faced by works councils and trade unions, and explore the opportunities arising from the implementation of the Directive in Germany.
Semih Yalcin, who is the GBR chair of Lieferando Germany, a works council member in Cologne and a member of the NGG collective bargaining committee, will report on his experience of works council and trade union work. Dr Amélie Sutterer-Kipping, a legal expert at HSI, will shed light on the new legal framework opened up by the EU directive. Anna-Elisabeth Hampel from Minor – Projektkontor für Bildung und Forschung (Minor – Project Office for Education and Research) has developed concrete implementation models for Article 20 of the Directive as part of the 'Equal Opportunities in Platform Work' project. Dr Johannes Specht, a political scientist at the WSI, is currently investigating the wage campaign at Lieferando, the market leader among food delivery services in Germany. Dr Ernesto Klengel, Director of the HSI, will moderate the session.