Patterns of labour unrest among app-based food delivery workers in Europe: the surprising persistence of industrial relations regimes

Mark Stuart, Vera Trappmann, Denis Neumann, Simon Joyce, Ioulia Bessa and Charles Umney

Chapter 6 in The Elgar Companion to Regulating Platform Work, 2025, pp 96-113 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: This chapter examines to what extent distinct patterns of platform worker unrest are discernible across Europe through a study of app-based food delivery work. The analysis draws on data from the Leeds Index of Platform Labour Protest. The chapter employs Visser's typology of industrial relations regimes. Seemingly different patterns of protest are emerging across liberal, pluralist and social partnership countries. Mainstream unions are more prevalent in protests in social partnership countries, whereas they have a smaller presence in liberal pluralist ones. Strikes are dominant in liberal pluralist countries and in fragmented state-centred regimes; institutionalisation as a form of protest is most frequent in countries featuring social partnership and organised corporatism; and legal action is reported mostly in fragmented state-centred regimes. Several other distinctive patterns are also discussed. Hence, despite the weakly institutionalised nature of platform work, industrial relations regimes are important in understanding platform labour protest.

Keywords: Industrial relations regimes; Leeds Index of Platform Labour Protest; Food delivery; Europe; Gig economy; Platforms (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
ISBN: 9781035321131
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