The debate on the future of work has largely concentrated how many jobs will be lost to automation and the number of workers who will likely be displaced. Since the publication of Frey and Osborne’s working paper in 2013, there has been a fury of policy and academic discussions on the issue, much of which…
The law of obligations and SMEs With its first released decision of 2019, the Ontario (Canada) Court of Appeal added itself to the growing list of Uber litigation Heller v Uber Technologies Inc 2019 ONCA 1. Most often, Uber drivers challenge their employment status. Largely, courts have found against Uber; drivers fall into some aspect…
While the eventual outcome of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU remains uncertain, the text of the Withdrawal Agreement (WA) offers some insight into the likely approach of the EU to labour standards in any future EU-UK relationship. The WA was accompanied by a Political Declaration on the Future Relationship. In relation to social and…
On January 22, the ILO launched its centenary celebrations by releasing the Report of its Global Commission on the Future of Work. The Report is the result of several years of research, consultation with the Governments and social partners of the ILO Members State and the work of the 28 members of the Global Commission, with…
Connectivity brings a broader range of work Social media platforms connect individuals in ways that often blur the line between work and leisure. Although there has been an increase in the number of employment law cases illustrating the negative aspects of this intersection, there are opportunities within the platforms. In fact, the platforms may constitute…
Please find below the journal abstract of “The New Politics of Time” by Emily Rose published in International Journal of Comparative Labour Law and Industrial Relations, Issue 4, Volume 34 (2018) edited by Guy Davidov. New forms of temporal contestation are taking place in the world of work. UK employers are requiring from workers…
Free trade agreements (FTAs) are contractual obligations between the parties to reduce or eliminate tariffs on imports and reduce/eliminate trade restrictions in a wide array of economic sectors and services.[1] The goals of FTAs are to promote cross-border trade and investment and provide a stimulus to the economy of the trade partners. FTAs arise from…
The last couple of years have been momentous for platform work, with stories hitting the lines of major newspapers at least weakly, litigation sparkling globally and platform workers organising all around the world. It can be said that the curtain of invisibility initially surrounding platform workers has been lifted, at least partially. It is more…
The employment status of platform workers has been the subject of extensive litigation in the last couple of years. In many parts of the world, these workers have tried to obtain reclassification as employees in court. In a previous blog, I have highlighted how far too often the workers’ claims have been rejected on the…
The networked society as a new landscape for obligations The neighbour principle On 26 May 1932, the UK’s House of Lords, released its decision in Donoghue v Stevenson. This decision has been influential for tort law in the common law world. Often referred to in less austere terms such as the ‘snail in the bottle…
