Lavoro e nuova economia: un approccio critico. I molti vizi e le poche virtù dell’impresa Uber

• Main Author: Marialaura Birgillito
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: University of Bologna 2016-12-01
• Series: Labour & Law Issues
• Subjects: Technological innovation; new-economy; workers and working conditions; commodification; economic freedom vs. fundamental social rights
• Online Access: https://labourlaw.unibo.it/article/view/6491

This article examines how recent transformation technologies have modified society and social patterns and developed the “new-economy” model. The new recent approach, built on economic bases, appeals to a new paradigm of the relations between the “users” in the digital economy. The author focuses on the working relations in the Uber case and the working conditions of its “riders”, who are nevertheless workers.Moreover, the analysis goes in depth into legal qualification, working rights and the high level of platform’s control. These arguments lead the A. to the conclusion of a commodification of work in the cases examined and the prevalence of economic perspective over social rights. Finally, the A. argues that the approaches aimed at rethinking the traditional paradigms of work are not available in every cases, since value and alienation theory are still available for many of the new-economy workers, as in the Uber and other similar cases.