The Gig Economy Project

‘We are still fighting against Macron, only now at the European level’: Interview with Edouard Bernasse of the Collective of Autonomous Platform Delivery Workers (CLAP)

The Gig Economy Project

Show Notes

France has been the beating heart of many of the great labour disputes of the past, and now it is at the centre of the debate over the future of work in Europe’s digital economy.

Last week, the French Parliament passed a ‘social dialogue law’, which President Emmanuel Macron’s government says will provide a basis for ‘independent’ gig workers to negotiate with the food delivery and ride-hail platforms they work for. Opponents on the left have described the law as “the institutionalisation of Uberisation”.

Meanwhile, Macron has just taken up the rotating Presidency of the EU Council as it considers the EU Commission’s ‘Platform Work Directive’, which proposed a presumption of employment for platform workers. Macron - widely considered to be an ally of the digital platforms - may use his influence on the council to amend the Directive.

Finally, the French Presidential elections are just a few months away, which could have a big impact on what happens next in France’s gig economy.

Edouard Bernasse is co-founder and secretary-general of the Collective of Autonomous Platform Delivery Workers (CLAP) in Paris. In this podcast, we discuss:

1:49: Why CLAP?

9:28: The shape of France’s food delivery sector

12:26: Platform worker’s status in France and the ‘social dialogue’ law

31:29: The EU Platform Work Directive and Macron’s role on the EU Council

37:18: France’s Presidential elections and the gig economy

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