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 had three interrelated aims:
In addition, the project aimed 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 clustered by topic areas show the following:
Income and working conditions: Most drivers enjoy their job and appreciate the autonomy and flexibility it offers. An equal share of workers is (rather) happy and (rather) unhappy about their working conditions. Only about one quarter is content with their pay.
Cooperation with intermediers: 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.
Trade unions and collective action: Many taxi drivers are (politicallly) engaged and, for example, participate in street protest to fight for better conditions. However, only a small share of employed drivers are trade union members which may be explained by a limited believe by drivers in the ability of unions to improve their conditions.
Challenges at work: The survey respondents see many important challenges regarding their work. Most are financial -- high gas prices, taxes, low fare prices, competition from platforms -- but an insufficient political interest representation was also mentioned by many.
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 findings were presented and discussed (in German) at an event hosted by Chamber of Labour on October 8, 2024. A recording of the event is available here: https://vimeo.com/event/4617789.
The European Centre for Social Welfare Policy and Research supports the Sustainable Development Goals
