ISSUE PAPER 2021-01 July 2021
DISRUPTING TOGETHER:
Exploring Platform Cooperativism
as a pathway to ensuring decent
work in the digital labor market
PLATFORM / GIG ECONOMY
AND DECENT WORK
PLATFORM WORK IN THE PHILIPPINES
Due to the rapid technological advancement and
increased internet connectivity in the 2000s,
people across countries have witnessed the rise in
the production and delivery of a range of services
coordinated through online marketplaces or digital
platforms (ILO, 2018). These economic activities
are now referred to as the ‘platform economy’
or ‘gig economy’ that have allowed us to carry
out various economic activities online, such as
ordering of food and groceries, booking a ride or
home cleaning services, or buying other remote
freelancing services. Indeed, digital platforms have
FM-TAS-007 Rev 02 Effective 11-15-2021
become one of the prevalent features
in many contemporary societies and
have shaped radical changes in how we
organize socioeconomic activities.
With the growing significance of the
platform economy in the structure of
national and global economies, as well
as social activities, several scholars have
proposed typologies and classifications
to better understand various digital
platforms. The process of classifying
platforms has been based on the
services provided, function or value
created, interactions arranged by the
platform, and profit motive.
 DISRUPTING TOGETHER:
Exploring Platform Cooperativism as a pathway to ensuring decent work in the digital labor market

Nevertheless, while classifications may creative and multimedia, followed

vary depending on the basis used, it is by clerical and data entry (21.8%), and
useful to distinguish between the types of software development and technology
digital labor platforms (Figure 1), as they (17.9 percent)3 – also the top three (3)
are the predominant form that connects most sought-after skills by far (Kässi
workers with clients, and have significant and Lehdonvirta, 2018). However, it
implications in the world of work (ILO, must be emphasized that the OLI is
2021). According to the 2019 report by limited to fully digital labor platforms4
Payoneer on Global Gig Economy Index, and it excludes platforms for local
the Philippines placed sixth in the world on-demand services like Grab. Kässi
as the fastest-growing market for the and Lehdonvirta (2018) pointed out
platform economy.1 Similarly, based in their analysis that local statistics
on the Online Labor Index (OLI),2 the authorities have better chances of
Philippines ranked seventh in terms of tracking local on-demand platforms
market share where online work is done. because the transactions via these
Of the recorded platform workers in platforms always take place within a
the Philippines, 42.9 percent are in the single country.

Figure 1. Classifications of digital labor platforms

Source: Adapted from ILO, 2021

1
Cited in the ASEAN Post’s article titled, “Philippines’ fast-growing gig economy” by Liyana Hasnan. Retrieved from: https://theaseanpost.com/article/philippines-fast-
growing-gig-economy
2
Online Labour Index (OLI) is the first economic indicator that provides an online gig economy equivalent of conventional labor market statistics. It measures the supply
and demand of online freelance labor across countries and occupations by tracking the number of projects and tasks across platforms in real time. Results are published in an
interactive online visualization which is updated daily at:https://ilabour.oii.ox.ac.uk/online-labour-index/
3
Based on the data viewed on 06 May 2021
4
Included in the OLI is the requirement that the worker and employer are matched digitally, the payment is conducted digitally via the platform, and that the result of the work
is delivered digitally.

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 ISSUE PAPER 2021-01 July 2021
While the Philippines is one of the
countries with substantially expanding
platform economy, there is still no
official estimates on platform workers,
including those in the local on-demand
platforms. However, it may be noted
that the World Bank, in collaboration
with the Philippine Statistics Authority
(PSA), is in the process of measuring
the size of the platform economy in
the country. Until then, the Philippine
System of National Accounts (PSNA)
has yet to fully capture activities under
the platform economy, as well as digital
DECENT WORK SITUATION IN THE PLATFORM ECONOMY
The digital labor market is increasingly
growing in importance in the Philippines
that its impact on labor standards should
not be overlooked. The platform work
is regarded by various organizations
such as the World Bank as one of the
tools to promote self-employment or
entrepreneurship (Kuek et al., 2015),
especially for individuals who face
difficulties in finding employment in
offline labor markets (The Rockefeller
Foundation, 2013). Kuek et al. (2015)
indicate that the platform economy
provides advantages such as broader
access to specialized skills, more flexible
and faster hiring processes, and 24‐hour
productivity. Further, it has the potential
to be a channel for socioeconomic
development for developing countries,
particularly in terms of youth
employment and services exports (Kuek
et al., 2015).
However, despite the convenience and
benefits of the platform economy, there
is a growing awareness of decent work
constraints associated with it (ILO, 2018;
De Stefano, 2016). Anwar and Graham
(2020) argue that platform work in its
current capitalist set-up can generate
and maintain situations of precarity
and that some of the self-employed are
forced entrepreneurs due to limited
choices available in the labor market and
job losses in various sectors. Following
FM-TAS-007 Rev 02 Effective 11-15-2021
products and services resulting from
digital computing technologies (World
Bank, 2020). While measurement is
complicated and challenging, not least
given that platform work is often an
additional or secondary income source
(Hunt, Samman, and Mansour-Ille,
2017), the increased attention to these
evolving economic activities opens
the opportunity for the Philippines
to better understand its dynamics
toward ensuring decent work for the
participating workers.
the decent work pillars, below are some
of the concerns that have been pointed
out by the recent studies and reports on
the platform economy:
• Employment – The online labor
market or the platform economy has
potential of creating employment
opportunities for women and
other marginalized sectors, such
as the youth and persons with
disability (PWDs), who are unable
to find decent employment in
the offline labor market. Ease of
access, low entry barriers, and
flexible work arrangements are
some of the key features of the
platform economy, which makes it
a viable employment driver. Unlike
traditional offline employment,
platform work does not require a
lot of eligibility requirements, thus,
it provides alternative employment
opportunities even to those with
limited education and professional
experience. Technology is deemed
to be free of human biases.
Algorithmic management and
detailed monitoring ideally enable
an objective comparison of workers’
productivity. Workers may also
choose to conceal aspects of their
identity online to avoid bias. As a
result, hiring processes should be
characterized by greater objectivity
3
 DISRUPTING TOGETHER:
Exploring Platform Cooperativism as a pathway to ensuring decent work in the digital labor market
compared to traditional labor
markets. The promise of flexibility
and the option to work from home
allow women to engage in paid work
alongside family responsibilities.
However, while the platform
economy appears to be promising,
the usual legal and operational
categorization of platform workers as
independent contractors gives rise to
decent work gaps. This contentious
categorization of platform workers
blurs accountabilities with regard to
who will ensure decent work, such as
providing social security and statutory
benefits for platform workers (De
Stefano, 2016). The issues related to
disguised employment relationships
are tied with broader trends such
as the rise in non-standard forms
of employment. Moreover, the
claim on flexibility offered by the
platform economy requires a deeper
understanding of the preferences
and how are these experienced by
platform workers to aid in shaping
policies and programs aimed at
increasing female labor market
participation and addressing unpaid
care work.
With the COVID-19 crisis, empirical
and anecdotal evidence reveal
that gender inequality has been
exacerbated. While the platform
economy is seen to provide self-
employment to the vulnerable sectors
like the women, youth and persons
with disability (PWDs), there is an
urgent need to conduct broader and
deeper examination of the gender
dimensions in the platform economy.
Policies should draw lessons from the
long-established feminist discussions
around unpaid care work and move
away from the narrow view of ‘flexible
work’ as a panacea to one of the most
deeply entrenched manifestations of
gender inequality (Hunt, Samman,
and Mansour-Ille, 2017).
4 FM-TAS-007 Rev 02 Effective 11-15-2021
• Rights at work – There is also a
growing evidence that the platform
economy creates unregulated
marketplaces, eroding fundamental
rights at work and causing worker
vulnerabilities (Esim and Katajamaki,
2016). Workers’ rights are undermined
and the democratic values like
accountability and consent are
diminished due to the absence of
employer-employee relationship
in the platform economy (Scholz,
2016). The rise of alternative work
arrangements, such as independent
contracting and freelancing, inevitably
raises questions on regulation and
upholding the rights of platform
workers. While the platform economy
provides alternative employment
opportunities for vulnerable
groups, who have been historically
discriminated, it can also reinforce
existing socioeconomic inequalities
if the same decent workers gaps
found in offline labor markets are not
addressed (Saner, Yiu, and Nguyen,
2018).
• Social Protection – An important
characteristic of job quality is that it
should offer basic protection against
lifecycle and socioeconomic risks such
as illness, disability, maternity, and
unemployment. According to an ILO
report (2018), platform workers are
solely responsible for the payment
of social security contributions, in
addition to not being afforded other
labor protections, because they are
treated as independent contractors. As
a result, and given the low level of pay,
it is not surprising that only a small
share of platform workers enroll in
social security (ILO, 2018).
• Social Dialogue – Lastly, there is also
lack of voice and representation of
workers in the platform economy.
Non-standard forms of employment
without employer-employee
relationship jeopardize workers’
capacity to negotiate the terms of
employment, as well as participate
 ISSUE PAPER 2021-01 July 2021

in the formulation of policies that Thus, it is worthwhile, as argued by

might affect them. Such concerns De Stefano (2016), to reframe some
open the debate on what mechanisms of the labor-related issues of the
should be adopted to ensure that the platform economy into a broader
fundamentally recognized rights to discourse on how to secure decent
freedom of association and collective working conditions in the informal
bargaining are effectively realized in economy in general.
the platform economy (Terrasi, 2018).

DECENT WORK THROUGH

PLATFORM COOPERATIVES

STRATEGIC ROLE OF COOPERATIVES TOWARD DECENT WORK

In the face of alarming inequality well-articulated in the 1987 Philippine

driven by the expansion of capitalist- Constitution, and in the laws governing
oriented platforms and with the ongoing cooperatives such as the Cooperative
COVID-19 crisis, which has exacerbated Code (R.A. 6938, as amended by R.A.
chronic insecurity and inequality, it is 9520) and the Charter of Cooperative
imperative to ask, “How do we create a Development Authority (CDA) (R.A.
kind of digital economy where no one is 6939). Cooperatives in the country
left behind and that fosters solidarity in have generated a total employment
the process?” of 513,0006 (CDA, 2020) and have
been instrumental in addressing
Cooperatives,5 as the oldest, yet still socioeconomic challenges at the local
significant type of human enterprises level such as lack of access to water and
(Zhu and Marjanovic, 2021) are highly sanitation, low income of waste-pickers,
valuable in the discourse on digital age and women’s limited access to financial
and future of work. Because cooperatives instruments (ILO and ICA, n.d.).
are people-centered enterprises, it has
the potential of transforming marginal Thus, the ‘cooperativization’ model can
survival activities or those considered be a feasible solution to job instability
in the informal economy into vibrant and informalization often linked
economic entities and facilitate a more with non-standard forms of work.
equal distribution of benefits (ILO The worker-owner is at the core of a
Recommendation No. 193). According to cooperative and this special characteristic
ILO (n.d.), cooperatives are recognized to of the cooperative model gives the
sustain employment and have estimated vantage point to perceive, comprehend,
to provide at least 279 million jobs. This and act on the needs of member-workers
significant share in terms of employment (Saner, You, Nguyen, 2018). Indeed,
provision and presence, especially in cooperatives have a huge potential for
the rural areas, coupled with their values infusing democratic and meaningful
and principles make cooperatives as key economic and social participation in a
actors in advancing decent work (Möller, system which at present is characterized
Davila, and Esim, 2019). by a strong concentration of wealth and
economic benefits in the hands of very
In the Philippines, the role of few actors (Terrasi, 2018).
cooperatives in promoting equity, social
justice and economic development is

5
The International Labour Organization (ILO) Recommendation No. 193, defines cooperative as an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet
their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically controlled enterprise.
6
Figures as of December 2019, as presented in the video presentation titled, “State of Cooperatives in the Philippines and Contributions of the Cooperative Sector.”
Retrieved from: https://cda.gov.ph/videos/state-of-cooperatives-in-the-philippines-and-contributions-of-the-cooperative-sector/

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5
 DISRUPTING TOGETHER:
Exploring Platform Cooperativism as a pathway to ensuring decent work in the digital labor market

RISE OF PLATFORM COOPERATIVES

As presented in the earlier section, nature of the digital economy, platform

one potential response to the eroding cooperatives are more efficient in
employment relationship toward fostering collaboration among their
strengthening voice and representation own members and between different
of workers in the platform economy cooperatives. Worker-owners of these
is through “cooperativization’. While cooperatives share risks and benefits
cooperatives do not constitute a new and negotiate better contracts, while
phenomenon, an innovative offshoot being in a position to impact decision-
from the cooperative model is the making on how the platform is organized
“platform cooperative,” a term coined by and managed. (Esim and Katajamaki,
scholar-activist Trebor Scholz referring 2016). Scholars believe that the re-
to the cooperative model applied in the emergence and development of modern-
digital economy (Saner, Yiu, Nguyen, et day cooperatives is a response to the
al., 2018). Borkin (2019) underscores that proliferation of exploitative, capitalist
the platform cooperatives model should businesses (Saner, Yiu, and Nguyen,
be recognized in the context of initiatives 2018).
such as ‘tech for good’ and ‘responsible
tech’ which seek to make technology- In the Philippines, some real-world
based businesses more aware of the social experience of platform cooperatives
impacts of their ventures. include the following: the Red Root
which is the first Artists’ Cooperative in
Platform cooperativism does not mean the country and is also a global partner of
only cooperatives using online platforms the Platform Cooperativism Consortium;
but, more broadly, a movement oriented the Filipino Online Professionals
toward collective and democratic Service Cooperative (FOPSCo)
ownership of digital services, no matter which is a community of seasoned
what legal form is used. This means online freelancers, trainers, online
pursuing profit at all costs is not the business owners and DigitalJobsPH
ultimate goal, instead priority is often graduates of the DICT from all over the
given to other aims such as fairness, Philippines, and which aspires to be
members’ involvement in decision- the leading cooperative for all Filipino
making, equitable pay, and long-term online professionals and preferred
planning (Eum, 2017; Borkin, 2019). service provider of local MSME’s and
Scholz (cited in Saner, Yiu, and Nguyen, international clients.7 However, to better
2018) asserts that it follows the same understand the classification of platform
principles as a traditional cooperative cooperatives, the following types have
but there are two major differences: 1) been proposed in the studies conducted
business transaction is conducted in by Borkin (2019) and Calzada (2020)
digital platforms such as websites or (Table 1):
mobile apps; 2) due to the interconnected

7
Based on the organization’s overview at: https://fopsco.ph/about/

6 FM-TAS-007 Rev 02 Effective 11-15-2021

 ISSUE PAPER 2021-01 July 2021

Table 1. Typology of Platform Cooperatives

Type Description Description
Consortia • This is a format that enables greater interaction between Up & Go (United States of America) - is
Worker worker cooperatives – rather than among autonomous a cooperative owned by professional
Platform producers. The platform is providing the channel for the home cleaners that offers on-demand
workers to provide their services, but they engage closely, cleaning services at guaranteed fair
often in specific localities. wages. The worker-owned cleaning
businesses, which are all majority
• This may either be: 1) a cooperatively owned online women-owned, earn 95 percent of the
labor brokerages and marketplaces where workers/citizens cost of every Up & Go cleaning job. The
own the company, receive dividends, and have an input in remaining 5 percent supports the costs
running the company; or 2) Union-backed labor platforms. to maintain the platform.
Unionized workers/citizens can create their own companies
as a result of the collaboration between unions and workers. Eva (Canada) - is an app-based taxi
cooperative. The driver members earn
85 percent of the total ride fare, 10
percent is used to provide funds to
the cooperative and 4 percent goes
for ecosystem treasury, and the rest
goes to the Eva foundation (technical
maintenance, communications).8
Producer-led • This is a type of platform cooperative where users and Stocksy United (across countries) -
platform producers own the platform, through which producers can provides curated stock photography
sell their work. and video footage with almost 1,000
photographer member-owners, across
• Producers are geographically dispersed but collectively 63 countries. The members license
sell their produce through a digital platform. The producers creative content and receive 50 percent
are member-owners that manage the cooperative but royalties on standard license sales and
often do not physically work together. The aggregation 75 percent on extended license sales
and alignment of interests are purely on the producer side
with no option for consumers to become co-owners. The
platform is often critical in supporting producers’ livelihoods
and relies on producers’ participation to create network
effects to drive trade.
Multi- • By far, this is the best example of a platform cooperative Resonate - is a stream-to-own music
stakeholder where users and the producers of the products / services platform harnessing blockchain
/ community come together to develop a platform, and the platform technology. It is a multistakeholder
platform developers themselves are member-owners. cooperative giving democratic control
to artists (45 percent), listeners (35
percent) and workers (20 percent).
Through its model, it pays up to 2.5
times more revenue to artists than other
streaming services.
Data consortia • Another potential variant is the idea of a mutual trust Salus Coop (Spain) - a cooperative that
platform model, mainly focused on the ownership and use of data. A provides a platform for individual users
mutual organization is formed to manage the data on behalf to store their health data and control
of its members, who have both democratic control and an the use of this data. It aims to facilitate
equitable share in its profits. While the starting point here is secure sharing of health data that
around the ownership of data, there are applications of such enable citizens to control their own
an approach that more closely resemble the commercial health records while incentivizing data
features of a platform cooperatives. sharing to accelerate health research
innovation.9
Source: Adapted from Calzada, 2020 and Borkin, 2019

8
https://innovationmtl.com/2019/01/31/impact-driven-uber-in-montreal/
9
https://www.saluscoop.org/

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7
 DISRUPTING TOGETHER:
Exploring Platform Cooperativism as a pathway to ensuring decent work in the digital labor market
Clearly, cooperatives using online
platforms, as organized by the
participating workers, are a growing
countertrend within the platform
economy. Platform cooperatives offer
us hope in building a more equitable
vision of the future. While they are still
at the early stage of development, with
a number of interrelated legal, financial
and organizational challenges (Esim
and Katajamaki, 2016), the Philippines
CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR PLATFORM
COOPERATIVES IN THE PHILIPPINES
This section looks into the main
challenges and opportunities that
organizations may face as they seek
to establish themselves as platform
cooperatives. There are three main
areas of challenge, namely limited
access to capital, acquiring the right
ACCESS TO CAPITAL
Capital in all forms- financial, physical,
and human- is vital for any business
to survive and thrive. The start-up
phase of any business requires financial
capital reserves as spending can often
exceed revenue levels. While there have
been successful cases of traditional
cooperatives in the Philippines, survival
based on the same fundamental
principles has yet to be proven for digital
platforms.
Starting a platform cooperative entails
the integration of technology into the
business model. More often than not,
technology has to be built from scratch
which would need a considerable
amount of financial capital. From the
viewpoint of investors, the platform
cooperative can be quite risky because
it has less potential for quick and huge
returns compared to mainstream digital
platforms. Thus, platform cooperatives
have to be innovative in terms of raising
and sustaining financial capital.
8 FM-TAS-007 Rev 02 Effective 11-15-2021
needs to critically examine how to
support workers to articulate their own
realities and develop the strategies
that are relevant within the Philippine
context. In a country where platform
work is growing, continuously building
and promoting more ethical and fairer
alternatives becomes vital. However,
it must be underscored that small
businesses cannot do it alone.
skills to operate a business, and limited
market access. However, while seemingly
daunting and difficult to overcome, these
challenges may also be transformed into
opportunities.
One of the main criticisms against
conventional digital platforms is that
they tend to pass on the costs to workers
in order to create an artificially low
price for consumers (Scholz, 2016).
Because there is no employer-employee
relationship, workers are not protected
against unjustly low wages. Since big
techs have the monopoly over the
market and remain to be appropriately
regulated, digital platforms are likely to
dictate standards and workers are often
left without a choice but simply accept
the terms. Where dominant capitalist
platforms operate, it is very difficult for
platform cooperatives, who have limited
to zero venture capital funding, to
compete without having to put pressure
on workers’ pay.
While it is tremendously tough for
platform cooperatives to mobilize
sufficient venture funding, there are
ways to do so. First is to rely on the
usual way offline cooperatives generate
 ISSUE PAPER 2021-01 July 2021

capital, which is to pool member funds. number of social enterprise start-ups

However, this might not be enough to has more than tripled in the last decade
enable platform cooperatives to tide over and this can be partly attributed to
the initial phase, in which spending is impact investors10, who have played a
normally higher than proceeds. In this key role in driving the growth of social
case, platform cooperatives can look enterprises. Table 2 below presents some
upon social enterprise investors for of the institutions that are into impact
funding. Based on a report published by investment:
the British Council and the Philippine
Social Enterprise Network (2017), the

Table 2. Impact Investors in the Philippines

Institution Description
1. Impact Investment Exchange Asia It is a foundation that seeks to scale positive impacts of social innovators through
fostering growth and market access of social enterprises.
2. Ashoka Philippines It is an organization which provides financial support to social entrepreneurs to
enable them to maximize social impact.
3. Oikocredit International It is an international cooperative that offers loans, capital, and trainings to
microfinance institutions, MSMEs, and fair trade organizations.
4. Xchange, Inc. It is an impact investment firm that extends financial and non-financial support
to social enterprises during start-up phase.
Source: British Council and PhilSEN (2017)

However, as much as the government. The role of the state is

abovementioned financing strategies indispensable in terms of ensuring access
are useful, it will still be challenging to capital by platform cooperatives and
for platform cooperatives to be able regulating the monopolistic tendencies
to compete with big techs and survive of big digital platform players.
without structured support from the

ACQUISITION OF TECHNICAL AND BUSINESS MANAGEMENT SKILLS

Undeniably, platform workers possess Thus, to survive the early stage and
technical skills which they have acquired to continue to thrive, members of
through experience of working in digital the platform cooperative have to
platforms. However, they could be more seriously live by its core principle of
used to working by themselves and may social solidarity. Achieving this can be
not be ready to run a company, which overwhelming since within a dominantly
is certainly different from being self- capitalistic system, it is quite easy to
employed or independent contractors. end up duplicating the very capitalist
Starting a platform cooperative entails strategies that cooperatives seek to
both technical and entrepreneurial dismantle. Platform cooperatives need
roles- from technology development and to strengthen alliances with other social
financial management to ensuring that solidarity enterprise actors and the
business plans are effectively realized. community in order to create

10
Impact investors are institutions whose business model focuses on making a positive impact by investing in enterprises that seek to generate not only financial returns
but also specific social and/or environmental gains (British Council and PhilSEN, 2017).

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 DISRUPTING TOGETHER:
Exploring Platform Cooperativism as a pathway to ensuring decent work in the digital labor market
more opportunities for skills and
information sharing. The critical role of
the government in this area cannot be
overlooked. DICT’s DigitalPh program
is a laudable initiative and it should be
accelerated to better support platform
workers. However, much remains to
be done in terms of establishing an
enabling environment, which will
LIMITED MARKET ACCESS
Even if a platform cooperative manages
to raise the necessary venture capital,
possess state-of-the-art technology, and
assemble people with the right skills,
getting market attention and achieving
scale remain to be a challenge given
the huge dominance of some digital
platforms, who have effectively leverage
networks to grow their business. The
importance of network effects in business
expansion, including digital platforms, is
well known (Biel and Davidsson, 2019).
For instance, people join Facebook
because most of their friends are there,
driving the market toward concentration.
The same phenomenon is evident in the
supply-side, in which workers tend to be
drawn toward popular digital platforms
(e.g., Grab).
Thus, the challenge is how to attract
workers toward platform cooperatives,
as well as entice more users/clients
and eventually get a fair market share.
The key is for platform cooperatives to
capitalize on their distinct identity of
10 FM-TAS-007 Rev 02 Effective 11-15-2021
influence individual platform workers
to come together and set up their
own digital platforms. It may not be
automatic for government forces to
institute appropriate policies. Therefore,
it will require strong collective action
from non-government actors to engage
the government towards carrying out
necessary policy reforms.
being a viable alternative to big techs
through appropriate communication
strategies. It is logical to assume that
workers look for platforms that might
provide better rewards. Therefore, it is
important for platform cooperatives
to devise education campaigns and
communication strategies to make the
cooperative model appealing to platform
workers. Tackling the demand-side
monopoly is much more challenging as
users can be content with mainstream
platforms. Users may not have the
appetite to try out new platforms,
especially if the services do not surpass
or replicate those of existing ones. While
platform cooperatives can explore
features that will help them harness
the network effects, it will be difficult
for them do so without government
intervention. Being a monolithic social
structure, the state has the power to shape
social consciousness through the right
mix of public policies.
 ISSUE PAPER 2021-01 July 2021

WAYS FORWARD

To help address growth constraints them to be provided or oriented with

and establish an environment where the necessary support mechanism
platform cooperatives can flourish, the to ensure timely access to financial
Department of Labor and Employment capital and other assistance needed.
(DOLE), in collaboration with relevant
government agencies, may explore the 2. Setting up of a worker-led online
following strategic actions, which are also rating-system of digital platforms.
articulated in the Decent Work Country At present, most platforms only seek
Programme 2020-2024 and proposed feedback from clients. Thus, the
during the Jobs Summit11 consultations proposed mechanism will intend
with platform workers12: to solicit workers’ experiences with
regard to the platform’s terms and
1. Establishment of a Platform conditions. A dedicated website
Cooperative Incubation and containing the platform profiles and
Acceleration Hub. The Hub will be ratings may be set up to help create
envisioned to apply the principles awareness among platform workers
of social solidarity economy where and users/clients. This initiative will
workers are considered as critical help strengthen the network effects in
drivers of economic and social favor of platform cooperatives.
transformation. Through the Hub,
platform workers will be provided 3. Creation of a Tripartite Working
with necessary support mechanisms Group (TWG) that will develop code
and resources such as technical of conduct for ensuring decent work
and soft skills training, technology, in the platform economy.
and access to financial capital to The TWG may help define the nature
facilitate their transition to becoming of work and applicable standards
technology-platform owners. For and terms of employment in the
instance, assistance in establishing platform economy. This can also be
partnership could be facilitated a venue for information-sharing and
between start-ups in a locality (e.g., pursuing innovations that will allow
those that focus on tech innovations platform workers to access mandatory
like science and technology- benefits, including social insurance,
based solutions in agriculture and which is a striking gap in the current
communication) and the private system governing platform work.
sectors who are providing training, Finally, the TWG, can contribute
mentoring, and support network to the identification of appropriate
to help them launch their products training modules for platform workers
or services and/or expand their taking into consideration their unique
market reach through the platform working conditions and other specific
or application to be used. Likewise, needs.
it will be of great consideration that
these start-ups will be linked to
concerned government agencies for

11
The Jobs Summit was held in April 2021 to 1 May 2021 to identify concrete actions for inclusion in the National Employment Recovery Strategy (NERS). A series of
consultations with stakeholders, including platform workers, was conducted prior to the final event on 1 May 2021.
12
The Decent Work Country Programme 2020-2024 articulates the shared priorities of the government, employers, and workers. It includes demonstration projects, which may
be financially and/or technically supported by the International Labour Organization (ILO).

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Exploring Platform Cooperativism as a pathway to ensuring decent work in the digital labor market

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Disrupting together: Institute for Labor Studies

Exploring Platform Cooperativism as a pathway to ensuring decent Surian ng mga Aralin sa Paggawa
work in the digital labor market
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by Maria Isabel D. Artajo and Malorie Joy O. Mones cor. Solana Street, Intramuros, Manila
Workers Welfare Research Division Philippines 1002
Tel.: (632) 8527-3490
Issue Papers are publications that ILS produces to render assistance to DOLE Fax: (632) 8527-3491
on varied policy issues and technical requirements, which include briefing notes,
inputs to technical documents and draft legislative proposals. These papers contain
broad discussion on any subjects that require policy analysis. ils.dole.gov.ph

The views expressed in this paper are those of the authors and do not reflect the
opinion of the Institute for Labor Studies and/or the Department of Labor and
Employment. ilsdoleofficial

FM-TAS-007 Rev 02 Effective 11-15-2021