The European Centre for Social Welfare Policy and Research supports the Sustainable Development Goals
The growth of platform work has led to intense public debates over workers' rights and the future of social dialogue. Recent studies in Austria have covered several sectors in which digital labour platforms play a crucial role including food delivery and cleaning. However, despite criticism of low pay and bad working conditions, there is very limited data on the conditions of drivers in app-mediated, ride-hailing sector. Furthermore, research in other countries shows significant cross-sectoral differences in working conditions, pay and attitudes towards collective action which have not been explored in Austria.
Against the described background, the Driver Survey project has three interrelated aims:
In addition, the project aims to strengthen networking and the exchange of knowledge between researchers, activists, social partners and policymakers in the field of platform work.
The survey was completed by 241 employed and self-employed taxi drivers, most of whom work in Vienna (76%). The results indicate that most drivers enjoy appreciate the autonomy and flexibility it offers. Three quarters of the respondents work with radio operators (Funkzentralen) and/or online platforms of find customers. Drivers acknowledged that intermediaries make it easier for customers to order rides, but also criticise that online platforms in particular try to push down fare prices. Overall, a plurality of drivers (44%) see the overall effect of radio operators on their work as positive, but only 25% say the same about online platforms with 53% regarding platforms as a net negative. Even 91% drivers using platforms say that they try to push down fare prices and a plurality (45%) view their overall effect as negative.
The comparison with other sectors shows that the workforce is heavily gendered with platform workers in food-delivery and ride-hailing being predominantly male, and most platform workers in domestic services like care and cleaning being women. Similar to taxi sector, workers in most other sectors of plaftorm work in Austria appreciate the autonomy and flexibility their job offers them, but their are also several concerns including regarding inadequate pay and safety concerns, particularly for female workers.
The European Centre for Social Welfare Policy and Research supports the Sustainable Development Goals
