Algorithmic pricing: A concern for platform workers?

Abstract

Technological developments have been bringing about changes in the field of work since time immemorial. Recently, the emergence of platform work has brought up all kind questions. For instance, in the field of labour law, where the questions seem to focus mostly on the topic legal status of platform workers contract: is the platform worker an employee? At the same time, it is also interesting to examine what it means if it turns out the platform worker is not an employee. In that case, other issues arise, albeit in the area of competition law. In particular, one can think of the consequences of the use of algorithms in determining the tariff of the service. In this article, I examine the consequences competition law has for the platform and individual platform workers. These consequences are nuanced and depend on the specific business model. However, it does not seem to be excluded those involved could face sanctions for a breach of competition law.