Institutional experimentation and the challenges of platform labour

This chapter summarizes the discussion and arguments advanced by the contributors to this volume, identifying common themes, and drawing implications for policy and organizing solutions to the challenges of the platform economy. Adopting a historical perspective on technological change is essential for developing proactive policy and organizational responses to the disruptive effects of digital platforms on industries, labor markets, and legal frameworks. Consideration of the appropriate spatial scale is critical for identifying agencies with regulatory powers in the relevant jurisdictions, and is key for the viability and ultimate success of policy interventions. International regulatory frameworks might be appropriate for online labor platforms, while locally-based platform labor might necessitate subnational policy solutions. Worker organizations need to be agile and innovative, and engage in social and institutional experimentation to represent and gain protections for the new groups of workers that have emerged with the spread of digital platform technologies.