This report is the result of research conducted in Spain as part of the GDPoweR project, the aim of which is to recover and use personal data collected by food delivery and ride-hailing platforms on their workers in order to verify the degree of implementation of collective agreements on these types of platforms and thus improve industrial relations in this sector.
This has entailed interacting with workers on food delivery and ride-hailing platforms for the following purposes: 1) to enable them to exercise their right of access and request information from the platforms about their personal data and the algorithms to which they are subject; 2) to share this information with the project researchers; 3) to become aware of how the collection of personal data and subjection to algorithms is affecting their working conditions; and 4) to verify the degree of compliance with the collective agreements that apply to them.
This research has been supplemented by research into the strategies and actions of social actors, particularly trade unions and business associations that have negotiated collective agreements for food delivery and ride-hailing platforms. This has facilitated a deeper comprehension of the following aspects: 1) the rationales underlying the negotiation of collective agreements; 2) the mechanisms implemented to ensure compliance; and 3) the prospective challenges for collective bargaining on platforms. The findings of the research underscore the workers' lack of awareness regarding their right to access their data, their apprehension of potential repercussions for doing so, and the paucity of information they possess concerning the impact of algorithm-based decisions on their working conditions.
