Author ORCID Identifier
0000-0003-1050-853X
Document Type
Conference Proceeding
Publication Date
6-19-2026
Abstract
This paper provides a preliminary analysis of the Decent Work in the Platform Economy Convention, 2026 (No. 193), the first international labour standard devoted specifically to platform work. It examines the Convention’s scope, substantive protections, and principal interpretive questions, arguing that its significance lies in the cumulative architecture through which platform work is brought within the reach of international labour standards.
Particular attention is given to the Convention’s broad personal scope. Self-employed platform workers are generally included throughout the instrument, while specific provisions permit protections to be adapted to different employment statuses without excluding workers outside an employment relationship. The analysis considers the Convention’s provisions on fundamental principles and rights at work, occupational safety and health, violence and harassment, employment-status classification, remuneration, wage protection, social security, and the allocation of responsibility among platforms and intermediaries.
This paper also examines the Convention’s comparatively novel regulation of algorithmic management. It analyses rights to information concerning automated systems, the connection between their responsible use and collective bargaining, the concept of “decent work by design”, written explanations and meaningful human review of automated decisions, personal-data protection, and safeguards concerning suspension, deactivation, and termination.
Finally, the paper addresses applicable law, contractual circumvention, forum shopping, and access to remedies. Although the Convention reflects significant compromises, it fully recognises that platform work is work, extends labour protection into areas previously underdeveloped in international labour standards, and provides a binding foundation for national regulation, collective bargaining, litigation, enforcement, and further standard-setting.
Recommended Citation
De Stefano, Valerio, "Decent Work in the Platform Economy Convention, 2026: A Preliminary Analysis" (2026). ILO Decent Work in the Platform Economy Convention. 1.
https://digitalcommons.osgoode.yorku.ca/ilo_2026platformeconomy193/1